2022 Best Value Colleges for Operations Research (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Operations Research Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Operations Research is the 198th most popular major in the country with 1,760 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 59 operations research graduates with average earnings and debt of $70,100 and $15,000 respectively.

Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent operations research programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the operations research program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 1 Best Value Colleges for Operations Research (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, Texas

#1 in overall quality

$26,718 Average Net Price

$54,535 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 1 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Methodist University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 55 ’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

SMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Operations Research Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SMU is $26,718 for Southwest Region Operations Research students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Operations Research at SMU

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

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.

Featured Engineering Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >