College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Operations Research

16 Ranked Colleges
72 Degrees Awarded
$35,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Operations Research is the 203rd most popular major in the country with 1,698 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in operations research. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular operations research programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Operations Research Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Operations Research Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The operations research school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree operations research students.

1

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s 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 97%.

Read more about Operations Research at Georgia Tech

2
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #2 spot on the list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 doctorate’s operations research degrees to qualified students.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Princeton Operations Research Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s operations research degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Operations Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Operations Research at Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Cornell crest
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 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 9 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Operations Research at Cornell University

6
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 7 doctorate’s operations research degrees 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%.

Read more about Operations Research at North Carolina State University

7

University of California - Berkeley landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s operations research degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 UC Berkeley

8
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon University

9
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s operations research students 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.

Read full report on Operations Research at NYU

9
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Naval Postgraduate School is a small school located in Monterey, California that handed out 1 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Operations Research at Naval Postgraduate School

11

Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management is a small school located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio that handed out 56 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

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

11

Case Western Reserve University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s operations research degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Case Western Operations Research Report

11

With a ranking of #11, Florida Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate list. Florida Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Melbourne, Florida. It awarded 20 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Operations Research at Florida Tech

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

Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #11. Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, this large public school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s operations research students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about Operations Research at Rutgers New Brunswick

11
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 0 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Operations Research at Colorado School of Mines

11

With a ranking of #11, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Operations Research Major for a Doctorate list. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 43 doctorate’s operations research degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 90%.

Full SMU Operations Research Report

Switch to a Similar Major

General Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering

Agricultural Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering

Biomedical Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering

Computer Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering

Engineering Mechanics
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Science
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science

Materials Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering

Marine Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering

Ocean Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering

Systems Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering

Forest Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Forest Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering

Geoscience Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering

Electromechanical Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electromechanical Engineering

Biological Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering

Other Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

Architectural Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering

Ceramic Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Ceramic Engineering

Civil Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering

Electrical Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering

Engineering Physics
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics

Environmental Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering

Mechanical Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

Mining Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering

Nuclear Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering

Petroleum Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering

Textile Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Textile Engineering

Construction Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering

Industrial Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering

Surveying Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Surveying Engineering

Paper Science & Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering

Robotics Engineering
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Robotics Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options