Best Mathematician programs in Illinois, ranked by enrollment
Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields.
47 schools in Illinois run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,745 people a year. The job pays a median of $130,970 in Illinois across about 60 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Illinois that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
10 programs in Illinois that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Illinois (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Illinois page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics, Generalmain feeder CIP 27.0101In Illinois → | 869 | 49.8% | 46 | $48,772 | $21,544 |
| 2 | Financial Mathematicsmain feeder CIP 27.0305In Illinois → | 466 | 26.7% | 6 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 3 | Mathematics and Computer Sciencemain feeder CIP 30.0801In Illinois → | 289 | 16.6% | 9 | $89,651 | $23,175 |
| 4 | Applied Mathematics, Generalmain feeder CIP 27.0301In Illinois → | 67 | 3.8% | 7 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 5 | Computational and Applied Mathematicsmain feeder CIP 27.0304In Illinois → | 45 | 2.6% | 1 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 6 | Mathematics and Statistics, Othermain feeder CIP 27.9999In Illinois → | 3 | 0.2% | 2 | $59,063 | $21,500 |
| 7 | CIP 26.1199In Illinois → | 3 | 0.2% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 8 | Computational Mathematicsmain feeder CIP 27.0303In Illinois → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 9 | Applied Mathematics, Othermain feeder CIP 27.0399In Illinois → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 10 | CIP 27.0503In Illinois → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
Top 25 schools in Illinois
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 6 of the 47 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 4 feeder programs | 482 | Mathematics, General | $48,728 | 85% | — | 42% |
| 2 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 391 | Mathematics, General | $100,421 | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 3 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 140 | Mathematics, General | — | 62% | — | 77% |
| 4 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 110 | Mathematics and Computer Science | — | 75% | $19,899 | 55% |
| 5 | DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 106 | Financial Mathematics | — | 68% | $28,141 | 76% |
| 6 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 89 | Mathematics, General | $52,597 | 65% | — | 88% |
| 7 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 87 | Mathematics, General | $79,530 | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 8 | University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 55 | Mathematics and Computer Science | — | 53% | — | 86% |
| 9 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 50 | Mathematics, General | $44,857 | 49% | — | 70% |
| 10 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 20 | Mathematics, General | — | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Carbondale, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Mathematics, General | — | 62% | — | 87% |
| 12 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Mathematics, General | — | 57% | — | 97% |
| 13 | Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Mathematics, General | — | 60% | $18,431 | 81% |
| 14 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Mathematics, General | — | 67% | $17,632 | 71% |
| 15 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Mathematics, General | — | 85% | $23,461 | 87% |
| 16 | Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Mathematics, General | — | 75% | $26,849 | 39% |
| 17 | Dominican University River Forest, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Mathematics, General | — | 55% | $16,176 | 90% |
| 18 | Governors State University University Park, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Mathematics, General | — | 22% | — | 48% |
| 19 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Mathematics, General | — | 45% | — | 71% |
| 20 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Mathematics, General | — | 22% | — | 75% |
| 21 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Applied Mathematics, General | — | 73% | $14,960 | 63% |
| 22 | North Central College Naperville, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Mathematics, General | — | 64% | $20,052 | 77% |
| 23 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Mathematics, General | — | 47% | — | 65% |
| 24 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 5 | Mathematics, General | $51,157 | 53% | $23,994 | 72% |
| 25 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Mathematics, General | — | 67% | $15,591 | 65% |
All 47 schools in Illinois
Every school in Illinois with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign | Champaign | Public | 482 | 4 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 391 | 3 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | 140 | 3 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 110 | 3 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 106 | 4 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | Public | 89 | 1 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | Private not-for-profit | 87 | 3 |
| University of Illinois Springfield | Springfield | Public | 55 | 3 |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public | 50 | 2 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 20 | 3 |
| Southern Illinois University - Carbondale | Carbondale | Public | 19 | 1 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public | 18 | 1 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Lewis University | Romeoville | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
What mathematicians earn in Illinois
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $126,710. Illinois pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Illinois
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Mathematicians page.
How to become a Mathematician
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Illinois
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 20 majors mapped to Mathematicians17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 26.1199Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other
- 27.0101Mathematics, General
- 27.0102Algebra and Number Theory(no graduates reported)
- 27.0103Analysis and Functional Analysis
- 27.0104Geometry/Geometric Analysis(no graduates reported)
- 27.0105Topology and Foundations
- 27.0199Mathematics, Other
- 27.0301Applied Mathematics, General
- 27.0303Computational Mathematics
- 27.0304Computational and Applied Mathematics
- 27.0305Financial Mathematics
- 27.0306Mathematical Biology
- 27.0399Applied Mathematics, Other
- 27.0502Mathematical Statistics and Probability
- 27.0503Mathematics and Statistics
- 27.9999Mathematics and Statistics, Other
- 30.0801Mathematics and Computer Science
- 30.4901Mathematical Economics
- 30.5001Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science(no graduates reported)
- 38.0102Logic
Common questions
Answers for people weighing mathematicians programs in Illinois.
What degree do you need to become a Mathematician?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Mathematics, General, which awarded 869 degrees in Illinois in 2024-25, 49.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Mathematician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Biomathematics, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 1,745 people a year in Illinois.
How much do mathematicians earn in Illinois?+
The median is $130,970 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 3.4% above the U.S. median of $126,710. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for mathematicians growing?+
BLS projects a -0.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Illinois?+
47 institutions in Illinois reported graduates from at least one of the 10 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do mathematicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Cryptographer, Mathematician, Research Scientist, Computational Scientist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-2021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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