Quant finance
Pricing and risk models.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Academic rigor96
Selectivity80
Employability70
Creativity68
Math intensity100
People-facing28
LessMore
Each bar is a 0-100 atlas score for this topic, not a timeline.
- 011
- 022
- 033
- 044
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick facts
4 yearsTypical bachelor
STEM & EngineeringField
100Math intensity
70Employability*
28People-facing*
80Selectivity*
Mathematics trains proof, structure and abstraction — the habit of saying precisely what follows from what. Applied tracks lean into modelling and computation; pure tracks lean into theory seminars that punish vague handwaving.
The campus footprint is quiet: blackboards, problem sessions and libraries more than specialised machines. Collaboration is real, but exams and problem sets still decide most grades.
Outcomes include further study, quant-adjacent roles, teaching, software and research. Relative scores compare majors on this catalogue only.
The profile
- Academic rigor96
- Selectivity80
- Employability70
- Creativity68
- Math intensity100
- People-facing28
Employability signal
Typical bachelor years: 4
Scores are relative across the forty majors on this site — not absolute rankings of universities.
Popularity & Demand →96Academic rigor
80Selectivity
70Employability
68Creativity
100Math intensity
28People-facing
Industries this major feeds
Sectors where graduates and research from this field show up most often — plates from Wikimedia Commons.
Cryptography
Secure protocols and proofs.
Insurance maths
Longevity and claims models.
Ops research
Logistics and scheduling.
People who shaped the field
Checkable figures whose work still frames how the discipline is taught and practised.
Carl F. Gauss
Number theory
1777–1855
Christian Albrecht Jensen · Public domain
Emmy Noether
Abstract algebra
1882–1935
Unknown author Unknown author Publisher: Mathematical Association of America [3] , Brooklyn Museum [4] , Agnes Scott College [5] , [6] · Public domain
S. Ramanujan
Number theory
1887–1920
Unknown author Unknown author · CC BY 4.0
Maryam Mirzakhani
Fields Medal
1977–2017
Unknown author Unknown author Publisher: Mathematical Association of America [3] , Brooklyn Museum [4] , Agnes Scott College [5] , [6] · Public domainSeven ways into this major
Compare with neighbours
Same-field head-to-heads built from the six score axes.
Frequently asked questions
What do you study in Mathematics?
Linear algebra — Linear algebra trains the habits mathematics depends on — not trivia for exams, but reusable technique for later studios, labs or clinics.
What does a Mathematics career path look like?
Foundation years — 0–2 — Build vocabulary and habits; seek near-peer tutoring before gaps compound.
How should I prepare for Mathematics?
Practise the entry craft — Problem sets, portfolios, essays or auditions that mirror first-year reality — not only entrance exams.
How long does a typical Mathematics degree take?
Most bachelor pathways run about 4 years of full-time study, though professionally accredited or longer first degrees can exceed that, and some systems split into 3+2 Bologna structures.
Is Mathematics mostly theoretical or practical?
Expect both. Foundations lean theoretical; later years push problem sessions, chalkboards and quiet libraries. The balance depends on accreditation and department culture.
Do I need strong mathematics?
Math intensity on this site is scored 100/100 relative to other majors. That is a signal, not a gate — check the specific programme's calculus and statistics requirements.
How selective is entry?
Selectivity here is 80/100 relative to the other majors catalogued — a composite of typical grade barriers and competition, not a single exam cut-off.
What communities should I join?
Start with the departmental society, then look for national student chapters and one serious online forum where practitioners share primary sources rather than memes.
Similar majors
Why labels are thematic — not a ranking of better majors.
Scores are browsing aids for curriculum and career lanes, not a league table of worth.
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Algorithms, systems and software — how machines are made to reason, store and communicate.
Employability 94 ⚡Electrical Engineering
Circuits, fields and signals — powering, sensing and communicating the physical world.
Employability 88 🔧Mechanical Engineering
Forces, materials and machines — designing things that move, bear load and last.
Employability 86 🌉Civil Engineering
Infrastructure that societies stand on — bridges, water, roads, cities and codes.
Employability 84 ⚗️Chemical Engineering
Turning reactions into plants — scale, safety and efficiency from molecule to factory.
Employability 82 🛰️Aerospace Engineering
Flight in air and vacuum — structures, propulsion, guidance and certification.
Employability 76 📊Data Science
Statistics, computing and domain sense — turning messy data into decisions that hold up.
Employability 92 ⚛️Physics
Matter, energy, space and time — from lab benches to the edge of the observable.
Employability 68 🧪Chemistry
Molecules and reactions — how substances change, bind and are made safely.
Employability 72 📉Statistics
Uncertainty made usable — design, inference and the ethics of claiming a pattern is real.
Employability 88