Applied Mathematics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
80
Optimistic
77
Base Case
69
Pessimistic
Earnings
$75,105/yr (20% vs median)
AI Risk
Very High (61% exposed)
Job Market
Large (87,000 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Applied Mathematics graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $1,315K | $846K | $505K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 36.6x | 23.5x | 14.0x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 8.4x | 5.4x | 3.2x |
| Viable Career Paths | 12 of 12 | 12 of 12 | 10 of 12 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 80 | 77 | 69 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$35,956
Out-of-state: $157,320
Median Debt at Graduation
$14,135
2.3 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$117,954
57% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Applied Mathematics graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 87,000 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $161,180 | 8,500 | +3.7% | 50% |
| Actuaries | $125,770 | 2,400 | +21.8% | 50% |
| Mathematicians | $121,680 | 100 | -0.7% | 100% |
| Economists | $115,440 | 900 | +1.2% | 61% |
| Data scientists | $112,590 | 23,400 | +33.5% | 64% |
| Financial risk specialists | $106,000 | 4,800 | +6.5% | 53% |
| Statisticians | $103,300 | 2,000 | +8.5% | 66% |
| Financial and investment analysts | $101,350 | 25,100 | +5.7% | 46% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Applied Mathematics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
This program scores 77/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 80 (optimistic) to 69 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Applied Mathematics career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Applied Mathematics graduates retain 12 of 12 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $504,853 (pessimistic) to $1,314,600 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Applied Mathematics graduates?
The career paths mapped to Applied Mathematics have roughly 87,000 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Applied Mathematics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 23.5x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 14.0x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.