2026 Best Value Operations Research Schools in Texas
[Operations Research](/majors/engineering/operations-research/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for operations research students.
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2026 Best Value Operations Research Schools in Texas
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
For return on investment in operations research, no school beat Rice University this year. Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,247. Students borrow a median of $11,904 to complete the operations research program here. Early-career operations research graduates make about $75,299. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Texas A And M University College Station earned it the #2 place for operations research. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,995 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Operations Research graduates carry a median of $20,031 in student loans. Soon after graduation, operations research degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $64,891. Set against $20,031 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Southern Methodist University one of the best values for operations research. Set in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,040. 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. Southern Methodist University admits about 63% of applicants.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 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.
