Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
- Albert Einstein
What Can I Do With a Mathematical Sciences Degree?
There are a multitude of careers for which mathematics majors are well suited. According to the "Wall Street Journal," mathematician is considered the “Best Job of All Jobs;” followed closely by actuary (second) and statistician (third).
Stress Less
Five of the six “Best Jobs” in terms of low stress, high compensation, autonomy, and hiring demand in the “Jobs Related Almanac” are math related. (source: WeUseMath.org)
Career paths include:
- actuarial science
- computer graphics
- cryptography
- cyber security
- data mining
- data science
- engineering
- financial analysis
- industrial modeling
- mathematics research (academic)
- operations research
- statistics
Why Do Employers Like Math Majors?
Math majors have the following attributes that employers love:
- problem-solving skills
- ability to think abstractly
- attention to detail
- ability to think about problems in a different way
A Perfect Next Step For Math Grads: Data Science
A mathematical science degree provides foundational skills for those looking into data science careers. Our graduates have found that they are well prepared to earn Ball State’s online master’s in data science and enter a high-demand career in the field.
Test performance on graduate school entrance exams by major
| Major |
LSAT |
GMAT |
| Mathematics | +12.8% | +13.3% |
| Philosophy | +8.7% | +11.0% |
| Economics | +9.6% | +7.3% |
| Chemistry | +7.6% | +7.5% |
| English | +5.6% | +4.1% |
| Foreign Languages | +5.7% | +3.3% |
| History | +2.9% | +4.6% |
| Biology | +4.0% | +3.3% |
| Psychology | +0.9% | +0.8% |
| Political Science | -1.6% | +.06% |
| Arts & Music | -0.5% | -1.2% |
| Business | -4.5% | -0.8% |
| Sociology | -7.0% | -5.0% |
| Education | -8.7% | -4.2% |