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2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in operations research. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality operations research programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

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

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

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 a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 8 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $56,719, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Operations Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#2

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 14 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #3 spot in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Operations Research at Princeton University

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s 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. 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.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Operations Research at Columbia

#4

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 160 masters’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree operations research students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cornell has also earned the #5 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 Cornell are $30,042.

Full Cornell University Operations Research Report

#5

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern are $25,558, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Northeastern University Operations Research Report

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 147 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Operations Research at University of California - Berkeley

#9 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s operations research degrees to 62 students 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Full UIUC Operations Research Report

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 36 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus are $31,334, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#9

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

North Carolina State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified masters’s operations research students in 2019-2020.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at NC State are $28,999, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Operations Research at North Carolina State University

#10

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #10, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon University are $47,326, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon University

#7 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s operations research degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western are $47,958, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Operations Research at Case Western

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#8 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree operations research students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Operations Research at USC

#13

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#14 in overall quality

Kansas State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified masters’s operations research students in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #14 spot 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 Kansas State University are $24,115.

Read more about Operations Research at Kansas State University

#14

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rutgers New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

Rutgers New Brunswick not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rutgers New Brunswick are $32,132, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Operations Research Report

#15 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree operations research students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #15 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 Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695.

Read more about Operations Research at Illinois Tech

#12 in overall quality

Southern Methodist University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 13 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

SMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at SMU are $47,478, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full SMU Operations Research Report

#17

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, Florida
#13 in overall quality

Florida Institute of Technology ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Operations Research Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Melbourne, Florida, and it awarded 15 masters’s operations research degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Operations Research Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida Institute of Technology are $22,588, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Operations Research at Florida Institute of Technology

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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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