Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Math Degrees

BEST FOR MATH LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

The best mathematics liberal arts colleges are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best math degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding math faculty.

Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges Math Programs

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  1. Wesleyan University
  2. Amherst College
  3. United States Military Academy
  4. Swarthmore College
  5. Williams College
  6. Smith College
  7. Wellesley College
  8. Vassar College
  9. Barnard College
  10. United States Naval Academy
  1. Reed College 44%
  2. Kenyon College 37%
  3. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo 33%
  4. Macalester College 31%
  5. Smith College 30%
  6. Vassar College 20%
  7. Wesleyan University 19%
  8. Davidson College 18%
  9. Haverford College 18%
  10. Pitzer College 18%
  1. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo 21 to 1
  2. Macalester College 10 to 1
  3. Colorado College 9 to 1
  4. Reed College 9 to 1
  5. Pitzer College 9 to 1
  6. Kenyon College 9 to 1
  7. Colgate University 9 to 1
  8. Davidson College 9 to 1
  9. Barnard College 9 to 1
  10. Bowdoin College 8 to 1
  1. Kenyon College $63,310
  2. Vassar College $62,870
  3. Reed College $62,730
  4. Colorado College $62,070
  5. Wesleyan University $62,049
  6. Colgate University $61,966
  7. Haverford College $61,210
  8. Amherst College $61,150
  9. Wellesley College $60,752
  10. Harvey Mudd College $60,703
  1. Claremont McKenna College $64,288
  2. Vassar College $61,940
  3. Colgate University $61,594
  4. Wesleyan University $61,449
  5. Williams College $59,728
  6. Smith College $55,830
  7. Colorado College $34,300
  8. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo $7,176
  1. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
  2. Pitzer College
  3. Macalester College
  4. Davidson College
  5. Claremont McKenna College
  6. Harvey Mudd College
  7. Colorado College
  8. Kenyon College
  9. United States Air Force Academy
  10. Middlebury College
  1. Pomona College 7%
  2. Swarthmore College 8%
  3. United States Naval Academy 8%
  4. Amherst College 9%
  5. Williams College 9%
  6. Bowdoin College 9%
  7. Harvey Mudd College 10%
  8. Claremont McKenna College 11%
  9. Barnard College 11%
  10. United States Military Academy 11%
  1. United States Air Force Academy 6 to 1
  2. Pomona College 6 to 1
  3. Williams College 6 to 1
  4. Swarthmore College 7 to 1
  5. Amherst College 7 to 1
  6. Smith College 7 to 1
  7. Wellesley College 7 to 1
  8. United States Military Academy 7 to 1
  9. Bowdoin College 8 to 1
  10. Vassar College 8 to 1
  1. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo $5,742
  2. Davidson College $55,200
  3. Swarthmore College $56,056
  4. Smith College $56,114
  5. Pomona College $56,686
  6. Pitzer College $57,978
  7. Claremont McKenna College $58,111
  8. Bowdoin College $58,322
  9. Williams College $59,660
  10. Barnard College $59,687
  1. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo $7,176
  2. Colorado College $34,300
  3. Smith College $55,830
  4. Williams College $59,728
  5. Wesleyan University $61,449
  6. Colgate University $61,594
  7. Vassar College $61,940
  8. Claremont McKenna College $64,288

Key Takeaways

  • Students pursuing a mathematics degree at a liberal arts college benefit from personalized attention that will allow them to get to know their professors, which will eventually help them apply for a graduate program.
  • The college admission process at liberal arts colleges is more manageable than at larger four-year universities. However, students at liberal arts colleges shouldn’t expect their math departments to have cutting-edge facilities and resources.
  • While liberal arts colleges have only limited resources, there are several schools with a 3-2 mathematics education program.

A bachelor’s degree in mathematics is an excellent starting point for a career in engineering, public health, economics, and much more. As a mathematics major, you’ll learn statistical analysis, linear algebra, differential equations, and a host of other foundational math subjects. Your mathematics degree will incorporate both theoretical concepts and practical applications in the full array of math sciences, including calculus, geometry, algorithms, and more. The best schools for mathematics are those which are regionally accredited, which offer a full array of mathematics concentrations, and which give you the chance to work with the best and most influential professors and classmates.

Degree popularity: Mathematics bachelor’s degrees are the 41st most popular undergraduate degrees across all student demographics, ranking much higher for men at 27th versus 48th for women. For white and Hispanic men it ranks 28th, but for black people, the degree doesn’t enter the top 50 for neither men nor women. It’s most popular among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, for whom it ranks the 16th most sought after degree, according to the number of degree earners reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics

Featured Programs

Math and Liberal Arts

If you’re looking for schools that allow you to explore mathematics through various lenses and provide individualized mentorship for research, a liberal arts college might be the right fit for you. A liberal arts college, while some may not expect it, can be an excellent choice for math majors to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

 

Benefits of Studying Mathematics in a Liberal Arts College

If you’re interested in exploring the best liberal arts colleges for math degrees, you’re most likely also considering the benefits of earning an undergraduate degree at a liberal arts college.

Liberal arts colleges have their own merits in education, and often they offer better advantages than more prominent universities. For one, students will be exposed to some liberal arts core courses instead of only focusing on pure mathematics, which will give them an advantage in the workplace.

Liberal arts colleges, because of their smaller student population, have a lower student-to-teacher ratio. This allows students to have more one-on-one time with their teachers. Therefore, you should expect to receive more specialized help from your professors at schools like Harvey Mudd or Williams College compared to other major universities such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

You’ll get to know your teachers well and eventually have these professors write personalized letters of recommendation on your behalf to enroll in graduate degree or doctoral programs at research universities or grad schools.

Students pursuing college math programs at liberal arts schools are encouraged to enroll in at least one humanities course to add to their math program. Interested students can develop novel ways to integrate their hobbies or comprehend their math curricula.

3-2 Programs

While it’s true that taking math at a smaller school means your school’s math department has less access to cutting-edge resources and facilities, cross-registration can help you make up for that. Many liberal arts colleges, like Harvey Mudd College, Amherst College, and Pomona College, are part of more prominent consortiums that let students from one school take classes at another.

Therefore, using the 3-2 and cross-registration methods, you can still pursue your interest in mathematical sciences if you think liberal arts universities are the perfect fit.

Prospects After Graduation

Enrolling in a liberal arts college won’t hinder you from applying for a graduate degree. In reality, you’ll be able to spend a significant amount of time obtaining hands-on research experience because liberal arts universities have many more specialized possibilities available only to undergraduates.

Graduates of smaller universities are twice as likely to obtain a math doctorate than graduates of more prominent universities. Liberal arts colleges prioritize assisting undergraduates as they navigate the internship and job search landscape through career services.

Some of the faculty members at Harvey Mudd College and Williams College have won national teaching awards. This means that students in these liberal arts colleges are sure to receive high-quality undergraduate education in mathematics.

Frequently Asked Questions About Math Bachelor’s Degrees

Earning a bachelor’s degree in math can open numerous professional doors. Majoring in mathematics prepares you for a variety of careers analyzing and interpreting numbers and data, whether real or hypothetical. With a mathematics major, you hone your skills of logic and analysis to organize numbers, find patterns, and predict outcomes. This could suit you to work as a financial planning consultant for private clients, a cost analyst for a major firm, or a statistician for an important public health campaign.

Today, top influencers in mathematics are bringing new light to areas like Digital signal processing, Stochastic analysis, Mathematical digital art, Catastrophe theory, and much more.

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Mathematics is a great major because of its versatility. Math majors can work in virtually any sector. Whether your interest is in finance, immigration, or transportation, there’s a math career for you. Mathematics professionals get to dig deep into data and apply their findings to challenges in healthcare, military strategy, space exploration, supply chain management, and so much more. Some math majors work in completely theoretical areas, solving centuries-old problems. Others teach teenagers and adults practical mathematics and advanced ideas. If you’re fascinated by numbers, patterns and shapes, you will likely have many career paths from which to choose.

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Once you’ve declared your major in mathematics, you will likely be required to complete a set of core courses in a number of math- and STEM-related subject areas. While your concentration will give you a chance to choose from a wide range of highly-specialized mathematics electives, there are several common courses that most math majors will be required to take, including:

  • Discrete Mathematics
  • Differential Equations
  • Calculus
  • Algorithms
  • Linear Algebra
  • Statistics
  • Applied Partial Differential Equations
  • Vector Calculus
  • Numerical Analysis
  • Differential Geometry

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Earning a degree in mathematics can qualify you for a number of well-paying jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs for mathematics majors is expected to grow at a dramatic rate of 33% by 2029, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. And earnings are also significantly higher than the average for all occupations, with mathematicians and statisticians earning a median annual wage of $92,030 per year in 2019.

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Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Math Degree Programs

If you think a research university may be a better fit for you, see our ranking of the best research universities for a bachelor’s in mathematics.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Math Degrees

  1. #1

    Williams College

    Williamstown , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    9%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    2K

    Williams College Mathematics Majors:

    • Mathematics
    • Applied Mathematics Pathway
    Source
  2. #3

    Swarthmore College

    Swarthmore , PA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $56K

    Acceptance

    8%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1467/32

    Swarthmore College Mathematics Major Concentrations:

    • Applied Mathematics Emphasis
    Source
  3. #4

    Pomona College

    Claremont , CA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $57K

    Acceptance

    7%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    2K

  4. #5

    Amherst College

    Amherst , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    9%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1495/33

  5. #6

    Wesleyan University

    Middletown , CT
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    19%

    Graduation

    91%

    Student body

    3K

  6. #7

    Wellesley College

    Wellesley , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    16%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1435/32

  7. #8

    Bowdoin College

    Brunswick , ME
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $58K

    Acceptance

    9%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    2K

  8. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $58K

    Acceptance

    11%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1415/32

    CMC Mathematics Major Sequences:

    • Computer Science
    • Data Science
    Source
  9. Other Rankings

    Acceptance

    11%

    Graduation

    84%

    Student body

    5K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1325/30

    USMA Mathematics Majors:

    • Mathematical Sciences
    • Operations Research
    • Applied Statistics & Data Science
    Source
  10. #11

    Middlebury College

    Middlebury , VT
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    13%

    Graduation

    91%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1430/32

  11. #12

    Barnard College

    New York , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    11%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1434/32

  12. Other Rankings

    Acceptance

    8%

    Graduation

    91%

    Student body

    5K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1340/30

    USNA Mathematics Tracks:

    • Mathematics
    • Applied Mathematics
    Source
  13. #14

    Reed College

    Portland , OR
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $63K

    Acceptance

    44%

    Graduation

    73%

    Student body

    1K

    Reed College Mathematics Major Concentrations:

    • Statistics

    Reed College Mathematics Interdisciplinary Major:

    • Computer Science-Mathematics
    • Mathematics-Physics
    • Mathematics-Economics
    Source
  14. #15

    Davidson College

    Davidson , NC
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $55K

    Acceptance

    18%

    Graduation

    90%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1380/31

  15. #17

    Colgate University

    Hamilton , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    17%

    Graduation

    90%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1385/31

  16. #20

    Vassar College

    Poughkeepsie , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $63K

    Acceptance

    20%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1440/33

  17. #24

    Haverford College

    Haverford , PA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    18%

    Graduation

    90%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1440/33

    Haverford College Mathematics Major Concentrations:

    • Computer Science
    • Scientific Computing
    • Mathematical Economics
    • Mathematics Education
    Source

Go to all Liberal Arts Colleges for Mathematics programs

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