It can also matter what math courses the student completed.
3 years that are algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 may look less competitive for admission at a highly competitive college.
3 years that are algebra 2, precalculus, and calculus will generally give the impression that the student is strong in math.
Also, colleges may have math or quantitative reasoning graduation requirements. In some cases, completing a higher level of math in high school can help complete them in fewer or no courses in college.