2027 Best Operations Research Schools in the Southwest Region
Operations Research is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for operations research students pursuing a degree.
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 2027 ranking of the best operations research schools. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. Roughly 84% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 87 operations research students who graduated with this degree at Texas A And M University College Station 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. Typical student debt for the program is $20,031.
Read more about the operations research program at Texas A And M University College Station
Rice University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best operations research schools. Located in the city of Houston, Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Rice University graduates 95% of students within six years. There were roughly 16 operations research students who graduated with this degree at Rice University in the most recent data year. Operations Research graduates of Rice University earn a median of $75,299 early in their careers. Rice University graduates carry a median of $11,904 in student loans.
Get the full operations research details for Rice University
Southern Methodist University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in operations research, landing the #3 spot this year. Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas. Southern Methodist University graduates 84% of students within six years. There were roughly 28 operations research students who graduated with this degree at Southern Methodist University in the most recent data year. Operations Research graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median of $72,658 early in their careers. Southern Methodist University graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans.
More information about a degree in operations research from Southern Methodist University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, 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.
