Mathematics

26 reviews
Decorative laurel wreath
0.0
Overall
Career Prospects
Student Satisfaction
Recommendation Rate
Academic Balance
Decorative laurel wreath

About this major

Mathematics is a rigorous discipline that focuses on the study of numbers, quantities, shapes, and patterns. Students learn to develop analytical and problem-solving skills through courses in algebra, calculus, statistics, and more advanced mathematical theories.

STEMAnalyticalProblem-SolvingQuantitativeTheoretical

Student Experience

Satisfaction
Career outlook
69%
Recommendation
50%
Plan grad school

Academic Balance

Math intensity
Writing intensity
WorkloadHard
DifficultyHard
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Senior
University of Southern California
★★★★★

Great major with potential career in academia or finance/tech industry. Requires hard work and talents

Theory-HeavyMath-IntensiveTech-OrientedHigh Earning PotentialGood for Grad SchoolWorth It
7/20/2025
Senior
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
★★★★

- Overall speaking, the curriculum design of Math major in UIUC is awesome. If you are strong in math basis, please consider proficiency exams; many elementary-levels are unnecessary for you. - Honor courses are suggested (including but not limited to MATH 347/416/427); don’t need to worry about GPA reduction! These courses will give you a completely different world rather than regular courses. - The graduation requirement is not that difficult, so please consider what you want to do in future. If you don’t have any special talents in math (i.e. have some real publications before Freshman year), never to think about doing pure math research after graduation. Try taking some courses in CS if you want to focus on CS research or Engineering jobs, or in Economics if you want to do some finance. - Last, internship is really important! This will help you to know anything about your future career path.

Hands-On LearningSupportive FacultySurprisingly ManageableWorth It
7/13/2025
Sophomore
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★★★

The Math major at UCLA is challenging, fast-paced, and incredibly rewarding if you enjoy abstract thinking and problem solving. The curriculum is broad and rigorous, covering everything from real analysis and linear algebra to differential equations, abstract algebra, and probability theory. Many of the upper-division courses are proof-based, which pushes you to think deeply and communicate your reasoning clearly — it’s not about memorizing formulas, but about understanding why things work.

Theory-HeavyResearch-OrientedInterdisciplinaryLecture-DrivenFast-PacedMath-Intensive
10/10/2025
Sophomore
University of Southern California
★★☆☆

Study this only if you have natural talent and love working with abstract concepts. Not worth picking math to try and be "flexible" as all you learn is theory, nothing applicable in any industries. Having math on your resume will tank your GPA, and if you aren't absolutely certain you want to go into quant or ML/AI, it will tank your competitiveness in other roles as well.

Theory-HeavyMath-IntensiveGood for Grad SchoolMentally DemandingTime-Consuming
7/12/2025
Graduated
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★★

Need to love math theory and application in more conceptual basis.

5/3/2026
Senior
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★☆☆

Its horrible. If you really want to do something, major in some applied field.

4/26/2026
Freshman
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★★

I love this major everyone is so nice and amazing and great!

4/26/2026
Junior
San Jose State University
★★★★

Yo awesome super super super good good good good job

4/26/2026
Sophomore
Harvey Mudd College
★★★★★

The mathematics major at Harvey Mudd is difficult (especially if you take any upper division math electives during your degree), but super rewarding to anyone who appreciates a rigorous study of multiple fields of Mathematics.

4/26/2026
Sophomore
Harvey Mudd College
★★★★★

The Mathematics major at Mudd is very rigorous (especially if you take lots of upper division electives), but also super rewarding to anyone who appreciates an in-depth course curriculum.

4/26/2026
Freshman
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★★

I love math, the program here when you reach the upper division classes is really good, the teachers do want you to learn they aren’t there just to test you and everyone is so passionate.

4/26/2026
Sophomore
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
★★★

I enjoy it and find the professors pretty passionate about their work. It’s also pretty rigorous which is good.

4/26/2026
Junior
University of California-San Diego
★★★★

Overall great experience and I learned a lot! Math-CS is still a great pipeline for SWE jobs.

4/26/2026
Senior
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★★

I love the people the most as part of my major, although I do appreciate how it teaches you to think!

4/25/2026
Senior
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★★

Mathematics is definitely a passion major! Met a lot of great people, who I value a lot more than math I’ve learned :)

4/25/2026
Freshman
University of California-Los Angeles
★★★★

I enjoy how it applies to anything, and many careers opportunities are intertwined with mathematics

4/25/2026

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