2026 Best Operations Research Schools in the Southwest Region
Operations Research programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best operations research schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Operations Research in the Southwest Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the operations research degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Operations Research
Texas A And M University College Station tops our 2026 ranking of the best operations research schools. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. Texas A And M University College Station graduates 84% of students within six years. Texas A And M University College Station awarded about 100 operations research degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, operations research degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $64,891. Students borrow a median of $20,031 to complete this degree.
Get the full operations research details for Texas A And M University College Station
Rice University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best operations research schools. Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 19 operations research students who graduated with this degree at Rice University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, operations research degree recipients from Rice University generally make around $75,299. Students borrow a median of $11,904 to complete this degree.
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A rank of #3 makes Southern Methodist University one of the top schools for operations research. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit university. About 84% of students finish within six years. About 26 operations research degrees were awarded at Southern Methodist University in the most recent year. Students who receive their operations research degree from Southern Methodist University earn around $72,658 in the first couple years of their career. Southern Methodist University graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 3 schools evaluated.
- 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.
