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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major

16 Ranked Colleges
72 Degrees Awarded
$35,800 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 72 operations research graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in operations research. That schools that top this list have a program in operations research in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major”.

Top 16 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Operations Research

1
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 16 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #1 spot on the list. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 12 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Full Princeton University Operations Research Report

2
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 16 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 0.3% 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 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Operations Research at MIT

3

Out of the 16 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s operations research degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

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

4
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 9 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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.

Full Cornell University Operations Research Report

5
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s operations research degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Operations Research Report

6

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking, coming in at #6. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

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

7
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon

8
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. Naval Postgraduate School is a small public school situated in Monterey, California. It awarded 1 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Operations Research at Naval Postgraduate School

9

University of California - Berkeley landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Operations Research Report

10
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking, coming in at #10. New York University is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 1 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Operations Research at NYU

11

Case Western Reserve University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Case Western Reserve University

11
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. Golden, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s operations research degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Mines Operations Research Report

11

Florida Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Melbourne, Florida, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Operations Research at Florida Institute of Technology

11

Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking, coming in at #11. AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management is located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 doctorate’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Operations Research at Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management

11

Southern Methodist University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. SMU is a fairly large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 43 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Southern Methodist University Operations Research Report

11
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Operations Research Major ranking. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s operations research degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Operations Research Report

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Notes and References

References

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