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2023 Best Value Colleges for Operations Research (Income $0-$30k)

17 Ranked Colleges
1,698 Degrees Awarded
$11,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 1,698 people earned their degree in operations research, making the major the 203rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, operations research graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $84,787 and had an average of $14,538 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree in operations research. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality operations research programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the operations research program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 17 Best Value Colleges for Operations Research (Income $0-$30k)

1
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 79 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Princeton also made our “Best Operations Research Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton is $2,958 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Princeton Operations Research Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 23 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. It costs about $5,193 for Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Operations Research at MIT

3

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s operations research degrees to 399 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our operations research students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,873 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Operations Research at Columbia University in the City of New York

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 192 ’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Operations Research at University of California - Berkeley

5
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice University is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our operations research students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rice has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,443 for Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rice Operations Research Report

6
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 231 ’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,244 for Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell Operations Research Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s operations research degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our operations research students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $8,818 for Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Operations Research Report

8
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 24 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full North Carolina State University Operations Research Report

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified ’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Operations Research Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Operations Research at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #6 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,456 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon

11
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Northeastern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 32 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern also made our “Best Operations Research Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern is $10,240 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northeastern University Operations Research Report

12
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 6 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USC Operations Research Report

13

Case Western Reserve University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 23 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Case Western is $16,063 for Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Operations Research at Case Western

14
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 4 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our operations research students whose families make $0-$30k list, K -State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,436 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend K -State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full K -State Operations Research Report

15

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech also made our “Best Operations Research Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $18,515 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Operations Research at Illinois Institute of Technology

16

Southern Methodist University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s operations research degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

SMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for SMU is $27,427 for Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SMU Operations Research Report

17

Florida Institute of Technology landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Melbourne, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida Tech, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida Institute of Technology is $26,380 for operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Operations Research at Florida Institute of Technology

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