2026 Most Popular Operations Research Schools
There are 43 colleges that offer a degree in Operations Research. The most popular schools, by student demand, are below:
Finding the Best Operations Research School for You
Today’s Operations Research students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendance, there are many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
The Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 43 schools in the United States offering Operations Research programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Operations Research Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for Operations Research majors.
Top 25 Most Popular Operations Research Schools
The most popular school in the United States for Operations Research students is Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 388 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $75,228. Full Operations Research at Columbia University in the City of New York Report
University of California-Berkeley landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. Located in Berkeley, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 282 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,445. Read More…
Naval Postgraduate School comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Located in Monterey, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 277 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Read More…
Cornell University comes in at #4 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Located in Ithaca, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 230 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $70,710. Read full report on Operations Research at Cornell University
Princeton University comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Princeton University is a private nonprofit school located in Princeton, NJ. During the most recent year for which we have data, 105 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $72,064. Read full report on Operations Research at Princeton University
United States Naval Academy comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. United States Naval Academy is a public school located in Annapolis, MD. During the most recent year for which we have data, 101 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Read More…
Texas A&M University-College Station landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. Texas A&M University-College Station is a public school located in College Station, TX. This school awarded 100 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $54,018. Full Operations Research at Texas A&M University-College Station Report
Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management
Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management is a public school located in Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. This school awarded 86 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Read full report on Operations Research at Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is a public school located in Atlanta, GA. This school awarded 42 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $87,556. Full Operations Research at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Report
United States Air Force Academy comes in at #10 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Located in USAF Academy, CO, this is a public institution. This school awarded 35 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Read More…
Case Western Reserve University comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Case Western Reserve University is a private nonprofit school located in Cleveland, OH. During the most recent year for which we have data, 29 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $67,614. Read full report on Operations Research at Case Western Reserve University
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public school located in Champaign, IL. This school awarded 28 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,513. Read More…
Southern Methodist University landed the #13 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. Located in Dallas, TX, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 26 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $67,114. Read More…
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College is a public school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 20 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,920. Read full report on Operations Research at CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
Rice University landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. Rice University is a private nonprofit school located in Houston, TX. During the most recent year for which we have data, 19 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $71,544. Full Operations Research at Rice University Report
Massachusetts Institute of Technology comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit school located in Cambridge, MA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 16 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $109,923. Read More…
North Carolina State University at Raleigh landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public school located in Raleigh, NC. During the most recent year for which we have data, 16 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $50,866. Full Operations Research at North Carolina State University at Raleigh Report
Florida Institute of Technology comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Florida Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit school located in Melbourne, FL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 15 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $69,606. Full Operations Research at Florida Institute of Technology Report
University of Southern California comes in at #19 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. University of Southern California is a private nonprofit school located in Los Angeles, CA. This school awarded 14 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,275. Read More…
United States Coast Guard Academy landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. United States Coast Guard Academy is a public school located in New London, CT. During the most recent year for which we have data, 13 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,669. Read full report on Operations Research at United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Military Academy comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. United States Military Academy is a public school located in West Point, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 11 people earned their degree in Operations Research from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,669. Read More…
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 9 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $88,268. Full Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon University Report
Georgia State University comes in at #23 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Georgia State University is a public school located in Atlanta, GA. This school awarded 9 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $37,719. Read More…
Northeastern University landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking. Located in Boston, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 8 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $74,155. Full Operations Research at Northeastern University Report
University of Dayton comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Operations Research majors. Located in Dayton, OH, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 7 degrees in Operations Research in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,482. Full Operations Research at University of Dayton Report
Rest of the Top Most Popular Operations Research Schools
Operations Research by Region
View the Most Popular Operations Research Schools ranking for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
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| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Operations Research Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Operations Research Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Operations Research
Operations Research Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Operations Research | 1,910 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 42,939 |
| Electrical Engineering | 26,760 |
| Civil Engineering | 20,005 |
| Computer Engineering | 19,986 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 13,914 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.