Best Online Degrees in: Mathematics Statistics

Editor's Picks: Online Schools for Mathematics Statistics

Value
The best online mathematics with a statistics concentration bachelor's degree is offered by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. According to PayScale.com, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell is ranked No. 128 for value out of 1,248 schools. In-state students can expect a return on their tuition investments of 9.6% without financial aid and 10.7% with financial aid. Out-of-state students can expect a return of 8.0% without financial aid and 8.7% with financial aid.

Flexibility
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell prides itself on providing class options for students who have obligations that render them unable to attend class in a traditional manner. Its online classes target students with careers and family obligations, and offer flexible scheduling. In addition, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell is ranked No. 297 out of 1,132 schools for having a flexible curriculum, according to College Prowler. It is therefore the winner of the best online mathematics with a statistics concentration bachelor's degree.

Career Support
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell provides career services for students and alumni. In addition to career guides and a resource library, the university's website also lists internship opportunities and offers help with writing resumes and cover letters. Because the University of Massachusetts at Lowell is dedicated to helping students transition from the virtual classroom to the work place, it is our winner for best career support.

Financial Support
The winner of best financial support goes to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 89% of the university's first-time, full-time students receive some form of financial aid. In addition, 52% of all undergraduates receive scholarships or grants.

Technology Support
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell has an online learning office, which students can contact via phone or email if they need assistance with their online classes. The university also has a help desk, which provides information and assistance for faculty, students, and staff. Students can also find answers to common questions on the school's website. It is therefore the winner of best technology support.

Disability Support
The winner for the best online mathematics with a statistics concentration bachelor's degree goes to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. By providing information on its disability services on the institution's website, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell ensures that its students know what services are available to them. They can access resources, documents, and a frequently asked questions page. The webpage also offers information for faculty members.

Library and Research Support
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell has many library services that students can access through the library website. These include the library catalog, databases, and e-books, through which students can search. Students can also find help with writing bibliographies and citing sources. For students that need extra assistance, the librarians can be contacted through email or phone.

Learning Support
As the University of Massachusetts at Lowell provides online tutoring for its students, it is our winner of the best online mathematics with a statistics concentration bachelor's degree for learning support. Students can find help with their math classes, seek assistance with writing reports, and communicate with advisors.

Faculty Accessibility
At the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, class sizes are kept small. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the student-to-faculty ratio is 14-to-1. With such small classes, faculty members are able to focus on students' individual needs. The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is therefore our winner for the best online mathematics with a statistics concentration bachelor's degree for faculty accessibility.

Alumni Engagement
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell provides its alumni with networking opportunities on its alumni website. Students can make public profiles, interact with other alumni, read relevant news, and stay current on university events. As a result of its dedication to proving alumni with opportunities to stay connected, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell is the winner for best alumni engagement.

New Online Student Orientation
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell provides an online orientation for new online students. This orientation walks students though the steps for registering for classes and utilizing the online platform. It also provides information on online education and contact information for the faculty and student support center. The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is therefore the winner for the best online mathematics with a statistics concentration bachelor's degree.

Explore a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics Statistics

Statistics is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and the communication of that data. Statisticians rely on quantitative reasoning skills and effective communication skills. Statisticians are utilized in several fields, and may benefit from an education that incorporates mathematics and statistics training as well as course work specific to an industry. Computer science is also useful considering statisticians may need to write programs for calculations. Colleges and universities usually offer a bachelor's degree in mathematics and statistics. A master's degree may not require a bachelor's degree in statistics, but usually will require a strong background in mathematics.

Class Curriculum

A bachelor's degree in statistics will provide foundational course work in calculus, linear algebra, and math logic, and continue into courses like estimation, hypothesis, probability, and social sciences. Upper level course work covers the analysis of variance, statistical modeling, stochastic methods of operations research, and experiment designs. Here are a few examples of classes in mathematics and statistics, organized by course level:

• Introduction to Statistics. An introductory course in statistics will cover estimation, tests of hypotheses, probability, and continue into numerical and graphical summaries of univariate and bivariate data, and binomial and normal distribution. Introductory statistics usually coincides with introductory mathematical course work like calculus and linear algebra course work.
• Linear Models. This course focuses on the principles and practice of linear models, including simple and linear regression, weighted and generated least squares, polynomials and factors, and transformations. Advanced course work in linear models covers log-linear models, multivariate response models, and additional topics in linear regression.
• Probability Theory. Course work in probability theory covers probability space, measureable functions and random variables, expectation and conditional expectation, modes of convergence, and uniform integrability. Advanced course work covers theorems including Skorokhod representation theorem, basic limit theorems, three series theorem, and central limit theorems.

The majority of homework assignments in mathematics and statistics are problem sets relating to concepts learned during lectures. Students may also find research experience projects that study real world data and apply concepts learned in various models and mathematical theory, depending on the research project.

Building a Career

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for computer and mathematical occupations was $73,720, and the median annual wage for statisticians was $72,830. Employment is expected to increase by 22% for computer and mathematical occupations, and 14% for statisticians between 2010 and 2020. Statisticians' skills are expected to be utilized more frequently as physical, engineering, and life science research and development opportunities grow and government agencies employ more statisticians to improve the quality of policy analysis. Keep in mind that employment opportunities and wages vary depending on factors including experience, employer, area and position.