Statistics

Types of Degrees Statistics Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many statistics graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	5,215
Master’s Degree	3,901
Doctor’s Degree	456
Graduate Certificate	237
Basic Certificate	169
Associate Degree	1

What Statistics Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to stats were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Stats Majors

Stats majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Stats Majors

When studying stats, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Stats Majors

As you progress with your stats degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

What Can You Do With a Statistics Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with stats:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Actuaries	22.5%	$102,880
Clinical Data Managers	33.9%	$87,780
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Mathematical Science Professors	9.4%	$73,230
Mathematicians	29.0%	$101,900
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Statisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Survey Researchers	2.1%	$57,700

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 5,215 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in statistics in 2021, making it rank #79 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 58% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of stats majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	996
Black or African American	99
Hispanic or Latino	321
White	1,849
International Students	1,705
Other Races/Ethnicities	245

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Stats, too. About 32.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• India
• Taiwan
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Statistics Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that statistics students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $49,491 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $46,566 (25th percentile) and $58,242 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a stats degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $87,140 to $116,250 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to stats. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Statistics

Some careers associated with stats require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for stats careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	40.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	5.5%
Master’s Degree	26.7%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.5%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	2.7%
Doctoral Degree	16.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.4%

Online Statistics Programs

In 2020-2021, 268 schools offered a stats program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	3	0
Bachelor’s Degree	56	10
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	175	9
Post-Master’s	8	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	88	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Statistics Worth It?

The median salary for a stats grad is $92,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 132% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,054,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Statistics

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to stats.

Major	Number of Grads
Mathematics	30,202
Applied Mathematics	11,107
Other Statistics	644
Applied Statistics	464

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By QWFP under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.