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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Operations Research (Income $0-$30k)

17 Ranked Colleges
1,049 Degrees Awarded
$37,700 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,760 people earned their degree in operations research, making the major the 198th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, operations research graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $79,967 and had an average of $28,139 in loans still to pay off.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,049 operations research graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree in operations research. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent operations research programs, but they also cost less that 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree operations research students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#1

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #1 spot on the list. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s operations research degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Princeton University Operations Research Report

#2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. MIT is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 8 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree operations research students whose families make $0-$30k list, MIT has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at MIT are $56,719, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Operations Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 328 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree operations research students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Columbia Operations Research Report

#4

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #4 spot on the list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 160 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #5 spot in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Operations Research at Cornell University

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 62 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

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

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 147 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Operations Research at University of California - Berkeley

#6 in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Georgia Tech are $31,334.

Read full report on Operations Research at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#8

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

North Carolina State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 18 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at NC State are $28,999, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full NC State Operations Research Report

#9

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Northeastern University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s operations research degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $25,558, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Northeastern University Operations Research Report

#10

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon are $47,326.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Operations Research Report

#11

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#8 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s operations research students in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full USC Operations Research Report

#7 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 31 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western Reserve University are $47,958.

Read more about Operations Research at Case Western

#13

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#14 in overall quality

Kansas State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s operations research students in 2019-2020.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kansas State University are $24,115, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full K -State Operations Research Report

#14

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s operations research degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rutgers New Brunswick, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rutgers University - New Brunswick are $32,132, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Operations Research Report

#15 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified masters’s operations research students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also made our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Operations Research at Illinois Institute of Technology

#12 in overall quality

Southern Methodist University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 13 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree operations research students whose families make $0-$30k list, SMU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SMU are $47,478.

Full SMU Operations Research Report

#17

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, Florida
#13 in overall quality

Florida Institute of Technology landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s 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 15 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida Tech also made our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida Tech are $22,588, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Florida Tech Operations Research Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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