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Mathematics professor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a mathematics professor. Mathematics professors usually study mathematics, education, or general education, specific areas. 52% of mathematics professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 406 real mathematics professor resumes to see exactly what mathematics professor education sections show.
The most common colleges for mathematics professors are the Teachers College of Columbia University and the Teachers College of Columbia University.
There are also many online mathematics professor courses to help get the education required to be a mathematics professor.
What education do you need to become a mathematics professor?
What degree do you need to be a mathematics professor?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Master's, 32%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a mathematics professor?
- Mathematics, 46%
- Education, 8%
- Computer Science, 5%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for mathematics professors
| Mathematics professor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Teachers College of Columbia University | 10.00% |
| Wayne State University | 6.67% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez | 6.67% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 6.67% |
| Cambridge College | 6.67% |
Best majors for mathematics professors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics | 46.3% |
| 2 | Education | 8.1% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 7.0% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 4.7% |
| 5 | Statistics | 4.0% |
Best colleges for mathematics professors
The best colleges for mathematics professors are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A mathematics professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for mathematics professors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become mathematics professors.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for mathematics professors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for mathematics professors
The most affordable schools for mathematics professors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for mathematics professors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for mathematics professors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for mathematics professors
The hardest universities for mathematics professors to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for mathematics professors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for mathematics professors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mathematics professors
The easiest schools for mathematics professors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mathematics professor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for mathematics professors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average mathematics professor salary by education level
| Mathematics professor education level | Mathematics professor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,496 |
| Doctorate Degree | $76,989 |
Mathematics professor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025