How much debt do UMass Amherst mathematics graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,250, which ranks 9th lowest of 14 mathematics bachelor's programs in Massachusetts. That works out to about $246 a month over 10 years.

Is a mathematics degree from UMass Amherst worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 54% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 44%. Compare the cost with other Massachusetts programs before deciding.

UMass Amherst Mathematics (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do UMass Amherst mathematics graduates stay in Massachusetts?

Most do. 77% (54 of 70) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Mathematics
Public university
Amherst, MA
About 297 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UMass Amherst mathematics graduates earn less than graduates of most mathematics programs nationally, $42,682 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,250 in federal loans, close to the national median of $21,500. Several Massachusetts programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$42,68224th percentile of 246 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$84,84699% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,2509th lowest of 14 Massachusetts programs

Debt-to-earnings54%Massachusetts median 30%, national 44%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Massachusetts and national columns are the medians across all mathematics bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UMass Amherst	Massachusetts	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$42,682	$61,761	$48,725
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$84,846	$73,536	$69,322
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,250	$19,750	$21,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	54%	30%	44%
Programs compared		15	246

Five years out, UMass Amherst graduates earn more than the national figure and about $11,311 more than the Massachusetts median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Massachusetts mathematics program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Massachusetts medians.

UMass AmherstOther Massachusetts programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 99% between the first and fifth year.

UMass Amherst grads, year 1$42,682

UMass Amherst grads, year 5$84,846

All Massachusetts mathematics grads, year 5$73,536

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned $10,092 less in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed more. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$37,584Median debt $26,268

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$47,676Median debt $23,250

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $246 a month, or 6.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (176 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20–29%
Paying down the balance	40–49%
Paused payments (forbearance)	10% or less
In default	10% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

77% of graduates (54 of 70) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating. Prices in the Amherst Town area are about the same as the national average.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to mathematics, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$95,260

Median pay in Massachusetts. 28,460 people work in this job in Massachusetts. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $61,500Top 10%: $122,660

Data Scientists

$131,750

Median pay in Massachusetts. 9,420 people work in this job in Massachusetts. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $81,030Top 10%: $206,220

Natural Sciences Managers

$267,290

Median pay in Massachusetts. 10,590 people work in this job in Massachusetts. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $153,490Top 10%: $329,820

Statisticians

$96,710

Median pay in Massachusetts. 2,480 people work in this job in Massachusetts. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $76,920Top 10%: $174,740

About UMass Amherst

In-state tuition and fees	$17,772 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$40,449 / year
Average net price after aid	$22,383 / year
Admission rate	60%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	83%
Undergraduate students	23,671

Mathematics ranks 21st of 45 bachelor's programs at UMass Amherst by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($89,327), Computer Science ($88,554), and Nursing ($81,452).

Other mathematics bachelor's programs near Amherst

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UMass AmherstAmherst, MA · public		$42,682	$23,250
Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA · private nonprofit	1 mi	$78,500	$14,745
Worcester StateWorcester, MA · public	36 mi	$43,169	$27,000
Assumption UniversityWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	36 mi	$41,695	$27,000
College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	38 mi	$61,761	$27,000
Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA · private nonprofit	41 mi	$55,193	$13,807

Common questions

The median graduate earns $42,682 one year after graduating and $84,846 five years after. The median across mathematics bachelor's programs in Massachusetts is $61,761.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Massachusetts comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the mathematics program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Mathematics bachelor's programs in Massachusetts, ranked15 programs by pay and debt Mathematics bachelor's programs in the US, ranked246 programs by pay and debt All UMass Amherst programs, ranked45 programs by pay and debt