Duke Mathematics Graduates Report Nation's Highest Salaries

New earnings data reveals Duke mathematics alumni outpace other top-tier programs with a $297,029 median salary.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Mathematics

Duke Mathematics Graduates Report Nation's Highest Salaries

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Duke University mathematics graduates earn a median salary of $297,029 four years after graduation, the highest of any bachelor's program in the United States. This data, released by the Department of Education, is based on earnings reported in the College Scorecard for the 2018 and 2019 graduating classes.

Why it matters

Undergraduate programs are now assessed on their ability to ensure graduates earn more than the national median for high school graduates, as mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This shift highlights how federal data transparency tools are increasingly used to rank the economic utility of specific academic disciplines.

The median salary of $297,029 is calculated from 17 graduates who received federal financial aid and are employed outside of graduate school. This figure significantly outperforms the $268,121 median earnings recorded for Carnegie Mellon University computer science graduates.

The players

Duke University

A private research university that ranked first nationally for mathematics program earnings.

Department of Education

The federal agency that maintains the College Scorecard and oversees institutional reporting requirements.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A private research university known for its engineering and mathematics programs that ranked second in this cohort analysis.

Carnegie Mellon University

A research university that provides high-performing computer science graduates for the national labor market.

The details

The Department of Education calculated these figures through the College Scorecard, a database tracking student outcomes across U.S. institutions. The analysis specifically tracks cohorts with more than 15 graduates who are working full-time and not enrolled in further education. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires that universities demonstrate their undergraduate degrees provide a clear economic advantage over a high school diploma as a condition of program assessment.

2018-2019: Graduation years for the cohort analyzed.
2026-10-27
Publication date of the earnings data release.

The Tech Race

This earnings data reflects an ongoing effort to quantify the return on investment for high-tier academic programs. It places Duke University's mathematics department at the top of a competitive landscape defined by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its mandate for fiscal transparency in education.

Prospective students can use the College Scorecard to weigh the financial outcomes of specific degree programs at different universities. These findings apply specifically to cohorts that received federal financial aid, excluding those currently enrolled in graduate studies.

The takeaway

The data confirms that specialized mathematics degrees from top institutions can produce exceptionally high short-term earnings. Observers should track future College Scorecard releases to see if these high-earning cohorts maintain their lead as their career paths diverge.