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2023 Best Value Colleges for Operations Research (Income $30-$48k)

17 Ranked Colleges
1,698 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in operations research. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great operations research programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the operations research program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The operations research school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Colleges for Operations Research (Income $30-$48k)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for MIT is $-2,603 for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Operations Research at MIT

2
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #2 spot on the list. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Princeton also took the #3 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton is $4,502 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Operations Research at Princeton

3

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 399 diplomas to qualified ’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

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

4
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #4 spot on the list. Ithaca, 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 231 students in 2020-2021.

Cornell also took the #5 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,133 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.

Read full report on Operations Research at Cornell

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 full report on Operations Research at UC Berkeley

6
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $1,340 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Rice Operations Research Report

7

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Georgia Tech is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 50 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech also made our “Best Operations Research Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $11,712 for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Operations Research at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

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

With a ranking of #8, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s operations research degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our operations research students whose families make $30-$48k list, NC State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $9,448 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Operations Research at NC State

9
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. It costs about $13,608 for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k 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. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 46 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Operations Research at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

11
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern University is $7,376 for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Northeastern University Operations Research Report

12
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Operations Research Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $17,345 for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Southern California.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Operations Research at USC

13

Case Western Reserve University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our operations research students whose families make $30-$48k list, Case Western has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western is $15,570 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Operations Research at Case Western Reserve University

14
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 4 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

K -State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $14,653 for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Operations Research at Kansas State University

15

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,101 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Illinois Tech Operations Research Report

16

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. SMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Operations Research Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for SMU is $24,226 for operations research students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Operations Research at Southern Methodist University

17

Florida Institute of Technology came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Operations Research Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Melbourne, Florida. It awarded 20 ’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida Tech also took the #15 spot in our “Best Operations Research Schools” ranking. It costs about $25,131 for Operations Research students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida Institute of Technology.

Read full report on Operations Research at Florida Tech

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Notes and References

References

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