2027 Best Value Operations Research Schools in the Southwest Region
[Operations Research](/majors/engineering/operations-research/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong operations research education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for operations research students.
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2027 Best Value Operations Research Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the operations research degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Operations Research Schools
Rice University earned the #1 spot for value among operations research schools in the Southwest Region. Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. Students from in state pay about $61,247 in tuition and fees. Operations Research graduates carry a median of $11,904 in student loans. Soon after graduation, operations research degree recipients from Rice University generally make around $75,299. That is a strong return on a $11,904 median debt. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in operations research will find it at Texas A And M University College Station, which ranked #2. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, while out-of-state students pay about $40,124. Operations Research graduates carry a median of $20,031 in student loans. Early-career operations research graduates make about $64,891. Set against $20,031 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 57%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southern Methodist University earned it the #3 place for operations research. Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas. Students from in state pay about $67,040 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for operations research graduates is $20,500. Operations Research graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median of $72,658 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
