How many credit hours of mathematics does an average successful student take before applying to graduate school? I'm a senior in mathematics at the University of Illinois (Urbana). I will be graduating sometimes in 2017, and I would like to go to grad school straight after graduation. 

How many credit hours of mathematics does an average successful student take before applying to graduate school?
This tends to vary a lot, but here's what I'd consider reasonably good preparation for pure math graduate school in the United States:


Three semesters of calculus (possibly less if you've had calculus in high school)
A semester of linear algebra
Two semesters of abstract algebra
Two semesters of real analysis
One semester of complex analysis
One semester of topology
At least 2-3 more semesters of advanced electives.  These can vary a lot, but it helps to have some expertise in a few different subfields of math before attending graduate school.


So it seems that I'm recommending at least 12-13 semesters of mathematics.  Assuming 4 credit hours for a one semester course, this is 48-52 credit hours of college mathematics.