2026 Best Value Operations Research Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in operations research, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Operations Research Schools
University Of California Berkeley earned the #1 spot for value among operations research schools in the Far Western Region. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,377, with out-of-state students paying around $47,265. Typical student debt for operations research graduates is $14,238. Operations Research graduates of University Of California Berkeley earn a median of $88,685 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,238 median debt. University Of California Berkeley admits about 11% of applicants.
University Of Southern California is a great value for students pursuing a degree in operations research, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,647. Students borrow a median of $15,625 to complete the operations research program here. Early-career operations research graduates make about $75,677. Set against $15,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
Narrow Operations Research Schools by State
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Operations Research](/majors/engineering/operations-research/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
