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Statistics

Types of Degrees Statistics Majors Are Earning

Those studying Statistics have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	5,130
Master’s Degree	3,974
Doctor’s Degree	486

What Statistics Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Statistics develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Statistics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Statistics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Statistics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Statistics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Statistics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Statistics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Statistics graduates include:

• Data Analyst
• Psychometric Consultant
• Data Modeler
• Data Analytics Specialist
• Data Engineer
• Quantitative Methodologist
• Data Specialist
• Applied Scientist
• Statistical Analyst
• Statistical Consultant
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Data Coordinator
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Statistics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	52.9%
Master’s degree	23.2%
Doctoral degree	6.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.9%
Post-doctoral training	3.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.0%
Some college courses	2.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.2%
First professional degree	1.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Statistics?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 40.3% women and 59.7% men among Statistics graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,868	40.3%
Men	5,735	59.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Statistics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,688	28.0%
Asian	1,717	17.9%
Hispanic or Latino	558	5.8%
Black or African American	200	2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	274	2.9%
Race Unknown	197	2.1%
International Students	3,954	41.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Statistics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Statistics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$70,565
4 years	$87,729
5 years	$105,293

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $105,293 — roughly 49% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Statistics Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Statistics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	2
Master’s	8	11

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Statistics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Statistics graduates earn a median of $87,729 four years after completion — roughly 131% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Mathematics and Statistics	27
Applied Mathematics	27.03
Applied Statistics	27.06
Mathematics and Statistics, Other	27.99
MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS	27.00
Mathematics	27.01

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.