Michigan State University Mathematics: earnings, debt & careers

Mathematics graduates of Michigan State University earn a median $72,226 four years after graduating ($47,951 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,500. That is $1,969 above the U.S. median for Mathematics graduates ($70,257 across 309 colleges), and ranks 3rd of 7 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$72,226

U.S. median for this major: $70,257.

College Scorecard field of study; 63 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$47,951

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,500

About 30% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $21,589.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$19,680 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $32,198. College Scorecard.

MSU Mathematics: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

MSU graduates$72,226
Michigan median (7 colleges)$64,547 (+$7,679)
U.S. median (309 colleges)$70,257 (+$1,969)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Mathematics nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses MSU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$7,068$29,968under 1 year
$30–48k$10,830$45,9191.2 years
$48–75k$16,521$70,0491.8 years
$75–110k$22,703$96,2612.5 years
$110k+$28,546$121,0353.1 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (65% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Mathematics graduates 4 years after graduating ($72,226) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $38,815 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Mathematics at Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports Mathematics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$109,146$21,589$13,13893%
2Michigan Technological University$73,271$23,250$14,18268%
3Michigan State University$72,226$21,500$19,68081%
4Wayne State University$64,547$27,000$12,76658%
5Oakland University$57,531—$9,12058%
6Central Michigan University$54,265—$17,59759%
7Grand Valley State University$51,753$27,000$16,31767%

24 more Michigan colleges offer Mathematics but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Mathematics graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Lansing area$63,900
Michigan$66,030
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Data Scientists

Lansing area$87,160
Michigan$100,590
U.S.$120,230

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +34.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Natural Sciences Managers

Lansing area$109,280
Michigan$129,070
U.S.$167,220

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +8.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at MSU, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About MSU

Related majors at MSU

MSU Mathematics questions

How much do MSU Mathematics graduates earn?

Mathematics graduates of Michigan State University earn a median $72,226 four years after graduating and $47,951 one year after. The U.S. median for Mathematics graduates across 309 colleges is $70,257.

How much debt do MSU Mathematics graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Mathematics graduates of Michigan State University is $21,500, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $21,589.

Is MSU a good school for Mathematics in Michigan?

On pay, Mathematics graduates of Michigan State University earn $72,226 four years out, $7,679 above the median for the same major across 7 Michigan colleges ($64,547) and $1,969 above the U.S. median ($70,257). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does MSU rank for Mathematics in Michigan?

Of 7 Michigan colleges reporting Mathematics graduate earnings, Michigan State University ranks 3rd. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $109,146.

What jobs do Mathematics graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $63,900 in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI area and $72,040 nationally. Others include data scientists and natural sciences managers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Michigan State University Mathematics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/michigan-state-university/majors/mathematics (College Scorecard and BLS data).