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Major · Mathematics & Statistics

Joint and specialty math-stats programs filed under the catchall CIP

Mathematics and Statistics, Other (CIP 27.9999) is the federal IPEDS catchall for math-stats degrees that don’t fit any named code. About 338 bachelor’s degrees are awarded yearly across just 33 institutions, with a five-year median near $97,793. Programs filing here are usually joint or specialty tracks, so content varies by school.

Schools offering
33
Annual completions
338
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$98k

About this major

Mathematics and Statistics, Other (CIP 27.9999) is the federal IPEDS catchall for math-stats programs that don’t fit any named four-digit code — the CIP definition is, verbatim, “any instructional program in mathematics and statistics not listed above.” Programs filing here are usually joint or specialty tracks: math-with-CS hybrids that don’t sit comfortably under either Mathematics, General (27.0101) or Mathematics + Computer Science (30.0801), math-with-finance programs that aren’t quite Financial Mathematics (27.0305), and joint math-stats majors with non-standard naming. Coursework typically runs through calculus, linear algebra, probability, real analysis, and statistical inference, with electives that betray the program’s actual character — heavy programming and ML, financial engineering, optimization, or biostatistics. Content varies by institution; the syllabus matters more than the code.

The major fits students who already know they want a quantitative bachelor’s but need a blend the named CIPs don’t offer cleanly. Programs under 27.9999 reward students comfortable with abstraction (real analysis appears in most curricula) paired with willingness to write code and ship results — graduates who skip programming tend to find the bachelor’s underutilized. Comfort with dense problem sets and translating ambiguous business or research questions into models are the traits programs select for.

The scale is small: about 338 bachelor’s completions a year across just 33 institutions, with a five-year earnings median of $97,793. Output is concentrated at New York University (134), which alone accounts for roughly 40 percent of national completions, followed by Notre Dame (57), Fordham (36), Carnegie Mellon (23), and UNC Charlotte (18). Career destinations include Data Scientists ($112,590, 33.5 percent growth), Natural Sciences Managers ($161,180, mid-career), Mathematicians ($121,680, master’s typical), and postsecondary Math Science Teachers ($79,350, doctorate typical).

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Data scientists $113k +33.5% Bachelor's degree
Natural sciences managers $161k +3.7% Bachelor's degree
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary $79k +2.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Mathematical science occupations, all other $71k +4.0% Bachelor's degree
Mathematicians $122k -0.7% Master's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$98k

Who this major is for

You may thrive in a 27.9999 program if you’ve identified a specific blended track at a specific school — a math-with-CS, math-with-finance, or math-with-data-science curriculum that files under the catchall code for institutional reasons rather than curricular weakness, if real analysis and proof-based linear algebra feel like puzzles rather than punishment, if you’ve spent time writing code outside class, and if you can verify from graduate placements that the career or grad-school destination you’re targeting is well-served. The catchall framing only matters as a research signal — read the curriculum, talk to the department, and look at where the last two cohorts have landed.

Think twice if you haven’t identified a specialty target and want a broad, recognizable major — Mathematics, General (27.0101) at 18,758 completions or Statistics, General (27.0501) at 3,379 completions are larger, more uniform options that signal more clearly to recruiters and graduate admissions. Reconsider if the school you’re looking at files under 27.9999 for reasons that don’t match your interests — a math-with-finance program is excellent for quant-finance-bound students and a poor fit for data-science-bound ones despite sharing the code. Note that the data packet shows no associate’s pathway here, so this CIP is essentially a bachelor’s-only credential with master’s or PhD as the standard pivot for named statistician and research-scientist roles.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Mathematics and Statistics, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
New York University New York, NY 0 134 134
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 0 57 57
Fordham University Bronx, NY 0 36 36
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 0 23 23
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC 0 18 18
Weber State University Ogden, UT 0 13 13
Webster University Saint Louis, MO 0 12 12
Emory University Atlanta, GA 0 11 11
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 0 7 7
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA 0 7 7
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Mathematics, General

18,758 completions/yr

Statistics, General

3,379 completions/yr

Applied Mathematics, General

2,591 completions/yr

Data Science, General

2,068 completions/yr

Mathematics and Computer Science

1,125 completions/yr

Business Statistics

843 completions/yr

Financial Mathematics

611 completions/yr

Computational Science

425 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does the .9999 in CIP 27.9999 actually mean?
The CIP 27.9999 code is, verbatim, “any instructional program in mathematics and statistics not listed above” — the federal IPEDS taxonomy’s catchall for math-stats degrees that don’t fit a named four-digit code in the family. Schools file a program here when its curriculum doesn’t map cleanly onto Mathematics, General (27.0101), Applied Mathematics (27.0301), Statistics, General (27.0501), or any other named CIP. In practice this captures interdisciplinary or specialty tracks — math-with-CS, math-with-finance, math-with-data-science, joint math-stats majors with non-standard naming, or analytics-tilted programs that cross departmental lines. The code itself tells you almost nothing about content; the institution’s syllabus does.
How does 27.9999 compare to the named CIP codes in mathematics and statistics?
The named siblings in this concentration each carve out clearer territory. Mathematics, General (CIP 27.0101) at 18,758 completions is the dominant proof-and-theory major. Statistics, General (27.0501) at 3,379 completions is the broad-scope statistics curriculum. Applied Mathematics, General (27.0301) at 2,591 completions emphasizes modeling, numerical methods, and scientific computing. Outside the family, Data Science, General (30.7001) at 2,068 completions is programming-forward and method-broad, Mathematics + Computer Science (30.0801) at 1,125 completions is the joint math-CS credential, Business Statistics (52.1302) at 843 completions is the business-school analytics track, and Financial Mathematics (27.0305) at 611 completions is the quant-finance pipeline. Mathematics and Statistics, Other (27.9999) at 338 completions is materially smaller than any of these and is best understood as the residual bucket — it sits closest in earnings to applied math and statistics, but the curriculum at any specific school may resemble any of the named siblings depending on what the program teaches.
Why are only 33 schools listed, and what does the institution mix tell me?
The small institution count (33 schools, 338 total completions) is the signature of a catchall CIP — most math and statistics output files under the named 27.0101 or 27.0501 codes, and only programs whose curriculum or naming doesn’t fit cleanly land here. The list is concentrated at the top: New York University (134) accounts for roughly 40 percent of national output by itself, with Notre Dame (57) and Fordham (36) filling out the leading three. Mid-tier programs at Carnegie Mellon (23), UNC Charlotte (18), Weber State (13), Webster (12), Emory (11), Pittsburgh (7), and Worcester Polytechnic (7) span flagship privates, mid-tier publics, and a regional polytechnic. Each school has its own reason for filing here — typically a joint math-stats degree, a specialty track, or an interdisciplinary program — so cohort-level signals don’t transfer between institutions, and program research at the school level is essential.
What jobs do graduates actually land, and is a bachelor’s enough?
Three of the five careers attached to this CIP list a bachelor’s as the typical entry credential: Data Scientists at $112,590 with 33.5 percent projected growth, Natural Sciences Managers at $161,180 with 3.7 percent growth (a mid-career destination, not entry-level), and Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other at $71,490 with 4 percent growth. The two graduate-credential tracks are Mathematicians at $121,680 (master’s typical, with a slight projected decline of -0.7 percent) and Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary at $79,350 (doctorate typical, 2.3 percent growth). The five-year bachelor’s earnings median of $97,793 reflects the mix — graduates landing in tech, finance, and analytics tend to clear it; those in research or teaching tracks usually pursue further degrees first. Bachelor’s-only paths into data and analytics work are real, but Python, SQL, and demonstrated portfolio projects matter more than the CIP code on the transcript.
Should I pick a 27.9999 program or one of the named CIP siblings?
The CIP code is a poor decision input on its own — what matters is whether the specific program fits your goals. If you’ve identified a joint math-stats track, a math-with-CS or math-with-finance specialty, or an interdisciplinary curriculum that the school happens to file under 27.9999, the CIP catchall is just an administrative artifact and the program may be excellent. If you’re looking for a broad, recognizable major and the school offers Mathematics, General (27.0101) or Statistics, General (27.0501) as named alternatives, the named CIP avoids the catchall variability and signals more clearly to graduate-school admissions and recruiters. Verify three things before committing: what the program actually covers (proof-based courses, programming requirements, statistics depth, capstone), where the last two cohorts of graduates have placed, and whether the department’s recommendation pipeline reaches the graduate programs or industries you’re targeting.
Is graduate school the natural next step after a 27.9999 bachelor’s?
It depends on the target role. The two graduate-credential careers attached to this CIP — Mathematicians at $121,680 (master’s typical) and Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary at $79,350 (doctorate typical) — both require further education, and any research-scientist or named statistician role generally does too. Strong MS Statistics, MS Biostatistics, MS Data Science, and MS Financial Mathematics destinations include Stanford, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, U Washington, Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, Berkeley, Chicago, NCSU, and CMU. PhD programs at the same universities feed senior research positions in pharma R&D, tech AI labs, federal research agencies, and tenure-track faculty roles. Bachelor’s-only paths into data scientist, analyst, actuarial, and quant-adjacent finance roles work without grad school — actuarial in particular substitutes SOA or CAS exams for a master’s — so the economically rational sequence depends on whether you’re aiming at named research roles or applied industry work.