Awhile ago I posted on whether to major in both computer science and mechanical engineering or just computer science itself. Well I was debating on studying in applied mathematics as well. My ultimate career goal is to someday be a quant and trying to find out what degree is the best choice for that career. Since you need an advanced degree for a quant position anyways such as a masters or often a PhD. I was wondering is a degree in applied mathematics worth it or is it best to study that for grad school?
That’s an extremely pragmatic degree that leads to strong employability in a wide variety of career paths, @DonAlexander
Let’s assume you are already a college student. Your best bet is to visit your school’s departmental job postings and career center. Discuss options with your advisor. There are many paths to specific jobs and grad schools. You need to choose the major(s) among your options that mean taking the most courses you like. This means making your decision based on which fields you like best. Those will lead to a career that is most enjoyable. Who knows- as you continue college you may discover other options and change your path.
No one, not even your parents, can tell you which path is best for you. Be sure to have alternates to just one particular goal.
CS and applied math are two very useful degrees found in more colleges than mechanical engineering.
I’m hoping You’re not thinking if double or triple majoring.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think applied math (as a major) is inherently more employable than pure/general math. Pure math majors can take computer science classes and learn to program. On the other hand, an applied math degree can be pretty theoretical (if your application area is theoretical physics, for example). Math majors can go into lots of different careers, but most of them require you to study other subjects (education, computer science, statistics, etc.) and ideally seek out work experiences (internships, co-ops) to prepare for them. These things, rather than the name of your degree, will determine how employable you are.
Combining math and computer science for a double major is quite doable in a lot of schools. A double major with any engineering degree is nearly impossible without going extra semesters, even if you get a lot of credit for AP classes.
My daughter did a dual major in math and computer science in 4 years with help from AP credits. Talking to a colleague in CS research at a national lab, I was surprised to hear him say that this combination is actually fairly rare and will make a candidate stand out. It is probably much less of a factor in CS careers that are not research focused.
My son and another friend both got math degrees from MIT. I honestly don’t know what the focus was for either one. My son was trying for 18C (math/CS), but didn’t get all the courses in. He finished his math requirements after sophomore year, and decided to concentrate on CS courses for the last two years (but I think he also self-taught a good bit of CS). He’s not going onto grad school, but had two lucrative offers as a Data Scientist (and now works as one). His friend works on Wall Street.
A friend of mine graduated from UCSD with a math degree, but I don’t know if it was “regular” or “applied”. He also didn’t go onto graduate school, but is working in analysis, I believe.
I think a math degree is a fine degree, and certainly I have seen how beneficial adding CS to a math degree can be.
Read post #4! You will choose various courses beyond those required and they can lean towards applied or theory.
Many choices for courses in all math and CS majors. The degree name isn’t as important as the knowledge gained. Math majors have many different options, especially when combined with CS courses. Look at the departmental websites for some of the top universities (eg in the top 20) for information on available types of jobs with the major.
God, I hope so 
My D is a double math/cs major. She is not sure what she’ll do with it but has added other courses to see what appeals to her (economics/statistics/probability). She thought about actuarial science as well. Hopefully internships will help her find a path that she enjoys and that is lucrative at the same time.
A math degree is like gold and will get you very far. I assume employers know it’s super hard and you can do just about anything.
Super hard for some is easy for others. Upper level math courses involve abstract thinking and showcase skills for thinking “outside the box”- valuable for many employers. Problem solving using concepts most of us lack. btw- there was along article about the value of math in computer science a couple of years ago (wished I had saved the reference). Adding math to CS is great. Son added CS to his Honor math major when he decided not to go to grad school. Is able to be intellectually satisfied and states an advanced degree is not needed. Currently a lot of research in myriads of fields is going on in the commercial sector- unlike many sciences where so much is university based.
D1 was a math major in A&S (not applied math). She got a lot of respect when interviewing. At the same time, she also knew she wasn’t going to graduate school for higher level math because she knew she had reached her limit.
A STEM degree is very valuable. This has been documented for years and will continue in the future. Good luck.