Best degree programs for Statisticians, ranked by enrollment
26 college programs and 1,498 schools train Statisticians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $105,650 median wage, 29,030 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
26 college programs at 1,498 schools train statisticians, graduating 97,941 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Mathematics, General. The job pays a median of $105,650 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About statisticians
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
26 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 27.0101 | 23,537 | 24.0% | 1,300 | $48,772 | $21,544 |
| 2 | CIP 45.0603 | 22,866 | 23.3% | 320 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 3 | CIP 30.7102 | 11,181 | 11.4% | 205 | — | — |
| 4 | CIP 30.7001 | 11,020 | 11.3% | 297 | — | — |
| 5 | Statistics, Generalmain feeder CIP 27.0501 | 7,215 | 7.4% | 200 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 6 | CIP 52.1302 | 5,978 | 6.1% | 107 | $62,069 | $23,500 |
| 7 | CIP 27.0301 | 3,917 | 4.0% | 224 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 8 | CIP 30.7101 | 2,672 | 2.7% | 134 | — | — |
| 9 | CIP 45.0102 | 2,284 | 2.3% | 65 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 10 | CIP 26.1102 | 1,666 | 1.7% | 90 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 11 | Mathematics and Statisticsmain feeder CIP 27.0503 | 956 | 1.0% | 38 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 12 | CIP 27.0304 | 815 | 0.8% | 45 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 13 | Applied Statistics, Generalmain feeder CIP 27.0601 | 562 | 0.6% | 38 | — | — |
| 14 | Statistics, Othermain feeder CIP 27.0599 | 543 | 0.6% | 30 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 15 | Mathematical Statistics and Probabilitymain feeder CIP 27.0502 | 476 | 0.5% | 15 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 16 | CIP 13.0603 | 445 | 0.5% | 46 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 17 | CIP 13.0699 | 308 | 0.3% | 21 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 18 | CIP 30.7199 | 275 | 0.3% | 21 | — | — |
| 19 | CIP 13.0604 | 262 | 0.3% | 21 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 20 | CIP 26.1311 | 248 | 0.3% | 19 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 21 | CIP 42.2708 | 210 | 0.2% | 16 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 22 | CIP 26.1101 | 205 | 0.2% | 8 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 23 | CIP 30.4901 | 189 | 0.2% | 11 | — | — |
| 24 | CIP 30.7099 | 91 | 0.1% | 13 | — | — |
| 25 | CIP 45.0103 | 18 | 0.0% | 2 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 26 | CIP 13.0608 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 1,964 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 11 feeder programs | 1,945 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 3 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 8 feeder programs | 1,641 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 93% | — | 9% |
| 4 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 1,552 | Business Statistics | 94% | $11,888 | 6% |
| 5 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 1,514 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 6 | University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,416 | Mathematics and Statistics | 61% | — | 72% |
| 7 | The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,392 | Business Analytics | 76% | — | 65% |
| 8 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,382 | Mathematics, General | 89% | — | 27% |
| 9 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,374 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 83% | — | 33% |
| 10 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,372 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 93% | — | 11% |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,334 | Data Science, General | 90% | — | 45% |
| 12 | Trine University - Regional/Non - Traditional Campuses Angola, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1,161 | Business Analytics | 0% | $21,976 | 40% |
| 13 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 9 feeder programs | 1,088 | Statistics, General | 85% | — | 42% |
| 14 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 1,085 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 15 | Eastern University Saint Davids, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 1,044 | Data Science, General | 54% | $25,146 | 91% |
| 16 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 1,040 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 17 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 8 feeder programs | 1,030 | Business Analytics | 83% | — | 60% |
| 18 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 10 feeder programs | 986 | Data Science, General | 93% | — | 16% |
| 19 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 929 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 86% | — | 42% |
| 20 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 8 feeder programs | 912 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 89% | — | 45% |
| 21 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 889 | Business Statistics | 43% | $34,565 | 100% |
| 22 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 798 | Business Analytics | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 23 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 8 feeder programs | 781 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 86% | — | 61% |
| 24 | Brown University Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 775 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 96% | $14,644 | 5% |
| 25 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 8 feeder programs | 771 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 85% | — | 39% |
| 26 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 749 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 96% | — | 17% |
| 27 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · 9 feeder programs | 701 | Mathematical Statistics and Probability | 83% | — | 50% |
| 28 | Georgetown University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 672 | Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods | 95% | $22,242 | 13% |
| 29 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 623 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 86% | — | 27% |
| 30 | Emory University Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 603 | Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods | 91% | $20,586 | 11% |
| 31 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 599 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 32 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 594 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 33 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 567 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 95% | $17,613 | 9% |
| 34 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Public · 12 feeder programs | 555 | Business Analytics | 83% | — | 52% |
| 35 | University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 542 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 76% | — | 76% |
| 36 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 10 feeder programs | 540 | Statistics, General | 84% | — | 57% |
| 37 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 5 feeder programs | 536 | Applied Mathematics, General | 76% | — | 49% |
| 38 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 7 feeder programs | 535 | Mathematics, General | 85% | — | 80% |
| 39 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 535 | Business Statistics | 94% | $14,126 | 12% |
| 40 | Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 525 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 96% | $27,025 | 4% |
| 41 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 5 feeder programs | 523 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 88% | — | 61% |
| 42 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 517 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 43 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 6 feeder programs | 511 | Applied Mathematics, General | 91% | — | 15% |
| 44 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 11 feeder programs | 504 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 68% | — | 90% |
| 45 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 498 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 91% | $21,126 | 16% |
| 46 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 7 feeder programs | 497 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 86% | — | 24% |
| 47 | DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 480 | Business Analytics | 68% | $28,141 | 76% |
| 48 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 452 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 49 | Utah State University Logan, UT Public · 5 feeder programs | 446 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 59% | — | 92% |
| 50 | Saint Peter's University Jersey City, NJ Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 436 | Data Science, General | 58% | $14,440 | 90% |
What statisticians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $135,960 | 2,480 | 0.73× | 190 | 16,128 |
| New York | $136,020 | 1,220 | 0.68× | 106 | 8,995 |
| Texas | $102,960 | 1,390 | 0.53× | 84 | 8,046 |
| Massachusetts | $96,710 | 2,480 | 3.65× | 57 | 6,378 |
| Pennsylvania | $93,830 | 1,630 | 1.44× | 87 | 5,377 |
| Illinois | $119,760 | 480 | 0.43× | 49 | 5,272 |
| Maryland | $132,620 | 2,730 | 5.30× | 28 | 3,435 |
| Indiana | $109,300 | 230 | 0.39× | 37 | 2,829 |
| Ohio | $98,190 | 580 | 0.56× | 49 | 2,546 |
| Connecticut | $102,860 | 490 | 1.53× | 19 | 2,534 |
| New Jersey | $118,280 | 880 | 1.09× | 34 | 2,331 |
| Virginia | $114,920 | 720 | 0.94× | 36 | 2,269 |
| Michigan | $102,710 | 570 | 0.70× | 39 | 2,228 |
| Florida | $108,040 | 550 | 0.30× | 38 | 2,216 |
| North Carolina | $115,690 | 1,200 | 1.30× | 40 | 2,105 |
| Wisconsin | $107,150 | 250 | 0.46× | 33 | 2,045 |
| Missouri | $66,330 | 680 | 1.24× | 32 | 1,800 |
| Georgia | $115,150 | 460 | 0.51× | 33 | 1,607 |
| Arizona | $79,640 | 440 | 0.73× | 22 | 1,553 |
| Utah | $88,610 | 300 | 0.94× | 13 | 1,391 |
| New Hampshire | $96,080 | 70 | 0.52× | 10 | 1,372 |
| Colorado | $109,660 | 780 | 1.45× | 22 | 1,314 |
| Minnesota | — | 780 | 1.42× | 30 | 1,286 |
| Washington | $105,650 | 2,960 | 4.47× | 20 | 1,285 |
| District of Columbia | $140,670 | 550 | 4.17× | 8 | 1,223 |
| Tennessee | $98,230 | 530 | 0.86× | 37 | 1,222 |
| Rhode Island | $102,620 | 40 | 0.47× | 9 | 996 |
| Oregon | $93,620 | 600 | 1.64× | 17 | 669 |
| Oklahoma | $89,540 | 50 | 0.17× | 24 | 654 |
| South Carolina | $65,450 | 240 | 0.56× | 24 | 641 |
| Kentucky | $112,520 | 80 | 0.23× | 23 | 600 |
| Iowa | $80,150 | 250 | 0.87× | 28 | 568 |
| Nebraska | $83,480 | 140 | 0.71× | 16 | 535 |
| Idaho | — | 160 | 1.01× | 9 | 514 |
| Louisiana | $76,400 | 70 | 0.20× | 18 | 454 |
| Alabama | $76,400 | 200 | 0.52× | 24 | 433 |
| Maine | $85,680 | 80 | 0.68× | 9 | 366 |
| Delawaremoderate | $109,570 | 70 | 0.83× | 4 | 352 |
| Arkansas | $105,720 | 570 | 2.33× | 18 | 344 |
| Kansas | $111,780 | 80 | 0.29× | 23 | 344 |
| Mississippi | $64,670 | 80 | 0.35× | 21 | 324 |
| Vermont | $82,210 | — | — | 7 | 284 |
| New Mexico | $84,330 | 230 | 1.40× | 12 | 174 |
| North Dakota | $75,890 | 40 | 0.44× | 6 | 154 |
| West Virginia | $84,660 | 90 | 0.70× | 9 | 139 |
| Nevadamoderate | $79,750 | 50 | 0.18× | 4 | 133 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $76,780 | 90 | 0.77× | 4 | 51 |
| Alaskamoderate | — | 80 | 1.24× | 3 | 20 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
- Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
- Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
- Determine whether statistical methods are appropriate, based on user needs or research questions of interest.
- Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data.
- Develop and test experimental designs, sampling techniques, and analytical methods.
- Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
- Present statistical and nonstatistical results, using charts, bullets, and graphs, in meetings or conferences to audiences such as clients, peers, and students.
Skills
- Mathematics4.8
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Writing3.8
- Science3.8
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics4.7
- Computers and Electronics3.9
- English Language3.9
- Education and Training2.8
- Biology2.6
- Administration and Management2.6
Abilities
- Mathematical Reasoning4.5
- Inductive Reasoning4.1
- Written Comprehension4.1
- Number Facility4.1
- Oral Expression4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.0
Core activities
- Analyzing Data or Information4.8
- Working with Computers4.8
- Processing Information4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.4
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Statistician
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.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Statisticians25 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.0603Educational Statistics and Research Methods
- 13.0604Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement
- 13.0608Institutional Research
- 13.0699Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other
- 26.1101Biometry/Biometrics
- 26.1102Biostatistics
- 26.1311Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- 27.0101Mathematics, General
- 27.0301Applied Mathematics, General
- 27.0304Computational and Applied Mathematics
- 27.0501Statistics, General
- 27.0502Mathematical Statistics and Probability
- 27.0503Mathematics and Statistics
- 27.0599Statistics, Other
- 27.0601Applied Statistics, General
- 30.4901Mathematical Economics
- 30.7001Data Science, General
- 30.7099Data Science, Other
- 30.7101Data Analytics, General
- 30.7102Business Analytics
- 30.7199Data Analytics, Other
- 42.2708Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology
- 45.0102Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods
- 45.0103Survey Research/Methodology
- 45.0603Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Statistician?+
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 23,537 degrees in 2024-25, 24.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Statistician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 26 programs to this occupation. The largest are Mathematics, Economics, Data Analytics, Data Science, plus 10 more. Together they graduate about 97,941 people a year.
How much do statisticians earn?+
The median is $105,650 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $64,000 at the 10th percentile to $174,050 at the 90th. 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 statisticians growing?+
BLS projects a +8.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 2,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,498 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 26 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 statisticians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Biometrician, Statistician, Biostatistician, Database Analyst, Research Scientist, Statistical Analyst among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-2041.
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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