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2024 Best Operations Research Doctor's Degree Schools

College Factual reviewed 13 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for doctor's degree seekers in the field of operations research. Combined, these schools handed out 72 doctor's degrees in operations research to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Operations Research School for Your Doctor's Degree

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to operations research students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of operations research students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Student Debt - How easy is it for operations research to pay back their student loans after receiving their doctor's degree.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized operations research related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for operations research students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Operations Research Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings , including this Best Operations Research Doctor's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Operations Research in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in operations research.

10 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Operations Research

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in operations research needs to take a look at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

It is difficult to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in operations research. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Columbia University in the City of New York

It's difficult to beat Princeton University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in operations research. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Princeton. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Princeton University

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in operations research has to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. More information about a doctorate in operations research from University of California - Berkeley

Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Northwestern University

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Carnegie Mellon University

Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Harvard University

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Cornell University

Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in operations research from Southern Methodist University

Operations Research by Region

View the Best Operations Research Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best bachelor's degrees in operations research, best overall in operations research, highest paid grads in operations research, best for veterans in operations research, most popular in operations research, most focused in operations research, best master's degrees in operations research, best value in operations research, best for non-traditional students in operations research, best online in operations research, most popular online in operations research.

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Rankings in Majors Related to Operations Research

One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Operations Research has other similar majors worth exploring.

Operations Research Concentrations

Most popular related majors, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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 .

Popular Reports

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Tepper School of Business

Ph.D. Program in Operations Research

The ph.d. program in operations research stresses optimization techniques leading to decision-making algorithms and the development of new models for management science applications..

The Tepper School's doctoral program in operations research (OR) is designed to encourage students to make contributions toward basic scientific knowledge in the area. This knowledge can take several forms including:

• The derivations of fundamental results of an analytical or mathematical nature that lead to the development of algorithms for aiding decision-making
• The development of new analytical models appropriate for management science applications in areas such as Marketing, Operations, and Finance
• Controlled experimentation that leads to empirical results that make efficiency comparisons possible among algorithms

A major goal of the program is to train students to recognize operations research problems in real-world situations, and to give them the opportunity to learn about the deployment of operations research models in one or more of these substantive areas. Towards this goal, the program provides the opportunity to develop knowledge of functional areas of business to which optimization can be applied such as Marketing, Operations and Finance. There is a rich tradition of graduates from the program going on to successful careers in these areas both in academia (in business schools, engineering schools in IE and OR departments as well as in Math and Computer Science departments) and industry. 

Course of Study

The basic operations research courses offered include: linear, nonlinear, integer and dynamic programming; graph theory and network optimization; convex optimization and convex analysis; and stochastic models. Each course is taught by a faculty member who is actively pursuing research in the subject area. Since classes are usually small, students frequently meet informally with their instructors. The third semester competence examination is based on the areas covered in these courses.

The research papers assigned for the first and second summers of graduate study are designed to give students an early introduction to research work. The paper may be done individually or jointly with other students or faculty members. Easy interaction in the Tepper School with researchers in the other areas of business and economics and in such related areas as computer science, machine learning, and statistics encourages the application of operations research in imaginative new directions.

In many cases, work on these papers leads to the work on the Ph.D. dissertation, which can begin as soon as the student has passed the third-semester qualifying examination.

Almost invariably, by the end of their second year, if not earlier, students have already worked on professional problems with some of the faculty. For this reason, student working papers written in collaboration with a faculty member are common.

Our History

Carnegie Mellon has pioneered several important developments in both theoretical and applied operations research. Geometric programming, chance constrained programming, and the applications of linear programming to capital budgeting and cost management were among the accomplishments of the '50s and early '60s. Since 1968, when the doctoral program in operations research was started, the Tepper School has initiated several new developments in integer and nonconvex programming, enumerative methods, cutting plane theory, disjunctive programming, constraint programming, network design, algorithm design, machine learning, data mining, and scheduling models.  

Recently, the group has pioneered advances in Approximation Algorithms for Network Design, as well as theory and applications of Modern Convex Optimization. Examples on the Selected Research Topics page illustrate the basic research currently in progress, and examples of new operations research applications can be found elsewhere on the Doctoral Program website.

Research Topics

• Mixed-Integer Programming
• Convex Optimization
• Benders Decomposition
• Branch and Price
• Approximation and Online Algorithms
• Network Design
• Analytical Models in Marketing and Operations
• Connections with Artificial Intelligence
• Interplay between Estimation and Optimization
• Bayesian Optimization
• Massively Distributed and Parallel Algorithm Design
• Machine Learning
• Cultural Factors
• Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Many of our students are very active in the Carnegie Mellon INFORMS Student Chapter . To learn about the joint PhD program in Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization, please visit the webpage http://aco.math.cmu.edu/

P lease visit our Ph.D. Student Profiles page t o view the profiles of our current doctoral candidates.

Program Details

• Requirements

New Research Interest – Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Ethics and AI is an emerging research interest among faculty members in Operations Research and Ethics. Research topics include algorithmic bias, models of equity and efficiency, machine ethics, and OR/AI for the common good. Given the importance and timeliness of this topic, Tepper faculty members have submitted a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation to support research in this domain.

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Operations Research Center

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Phd in operations research.

MIT’s doctoral degree (PhD) program in operations research (OR) provides you with thorough understanding of the theory of OR while teaching you to how to develop and apply OR methods in practice.

We offer a general degree track as well as three optional degree tracks in operations management , networked systems , and analytics . All doctoral students must complete the general degree track requirements; those who choose an optional degree track will have additional, specialized requirements to fulfill. 

General Degree Track

In addition to the writing competency requirements, our rigorous curriculum includes challenging coursework, action learning, and innovative research.

You’ll take eight graduate-level classes that have been approved by the ORC co-directors, including at least two courses in optimization, at least three in applied probability and statistics, and at least one in OR modeling.

You’ll put OR theory into practice through valuable, hands-on learning experiences, completing one of the following:

• Option 1: Participate in a summer internship, during which you’ll create OR models that address a real-world problem.
• Option 2: Undertake a project with an ORC faculty member, either as part of a supervised research activity or as an extra part of a regular course offering.
• Option 3: Take part in a class, for which you’ll build and implement OR models that have practical applications.

And, you’ll conduct in-depth research on a topic that complements your academic interests and career goals. You’ll write a thesis based on the independent research you conduct under the guidance of our expert faculty.

Qualifying Process and General Examination

All students enrolled in an ORC doctoral program must complete the Qualifying Process and receive a passing score on the General Examination.

• Students must choose one approved course from the three different categories (Optimization, Probability, and Machine Learning/Statistics). 
• Students must satisfactorily complete these three courses with a minimum of 2 As and 1 B or a combined GPA of 4.6 or higher by the end of their third semester at MIT.
• Students are required to register and take for credit the software tools course 15.S60 offered during IAP (January) led by current ORC students.
• During the student’s first summer at MIT (month of August), doctoral students will engage in a Common Experience project where students will work in teams to address an important problem for an organization.   
• General Examination : Students are required to take the General Examination once they have passed the Qualifying Process.  The General Exam is comprised of a research-oriented (RO) paper and an oral presentation of the RO paper and a discussion on a research paper selected by the General Exam Committee.

Upon completion of our doctoral program, you’ll have the specialized knowledge and technical skills to have a positive impact in a variety of fields, including business, education, and research. Many of our graduates have gone on to careers in academia, in the U.S. and abroad, while others have found success in business and industry as researchers and consultants.

  Analytics Track

In addition to the general PhD degree requirements, you will also:

• complete a summer internship with an organization related to analytics for your hands-on learning experience.
• take two specialized courses in analytics; these classes may count toward your eight required graduate-level classes.
• serve as a teaching assistant in courses related to analytics, or an approved equivalent.
• write a thesis on a topic related to analytics; one member of your thesis committee should be among the ORC faculty who specialize in analytics.

Networked Systems Track

• complete a summer internship with an organization related to networked systems for your hands-on learning experience.
• take two specialized courses in networked systems; these classes may count toward your eight required graduate-level classes.
• serve as a teaching assistant in courses related to networked systems, or an approved equivalent.
• write a thesis on a topic related to networked systems; one member of your thesis committee should be among the ORC faculty who specialize in networked systems.

Operations Management Track

• complete a summer internship with an organization related to operations management for your hands-on learning experience.
• take two specialized courses in operations management; these classes may count toward your eight required graduate-level classes. 
• serve as a teaching assistant in two MBA courses related to operations management or assist in one and take another one for credit. At least one of the classes for which you’re a teaching assistant must include recitation.
• write a thesis on a topic related to operations management; one member of your thesis committee should be among the ORC faculty who specialize in operations management.

For more information about our PhD program, please see our General Exam Syllabus .

For more information about ORC course offerings, please go here .

What is Operations Research?

Operations research (OR) is the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods—such as optimization, statistics, machine learning, and probability — to  make better decisions that impact society and the world positively.

The mission of the PhD program is intimately linked to the mission of the ORC.

Phone:  617-253-3601 Email:   [email protected]

100 Best colleges for Operations Research in the United States

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in the United States ranked based on their research performance in Operations Research. A graph of 3.68M citations received by 134K academic papers made by 321 universities in the United States was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For Operations Research

2. University of Texas at Austin

3. Stanford University

4. University of California - Berkeley

5. Carnegie Mellon University

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

7. Cornell University

8. University of Pittsburgh

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

10. Pennsylvania State University

11. University of Maryland - College Park

12. University of Pennsylvania

13. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

14. Purdue University

15. Columbia University

16. Ohio State University

17. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

18. Texas A&M University - College Station

19. Northwestern University

20. University of Florida

21. University of Southern California

22. Harvard University

23. University of Washington - Seattle

24. Arizona State University - Tempe

25. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

26. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

27. Iowa State University

28. University of Wisconsin - Madison

29. Princeton University

30. New York University

31. Duke University

32. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

33. University at Buffalo

34. University of Arizona

35. University of Virginia

36. University of California - Los Angeles

37. University of Colorado Boulder

38. Johns Hopkins University

39. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

40. George Washington University

41. University of California - Davis

42. Naval Postgraduate School

43. University of California - Santa Barbara

44. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

45. Michigan State University

46. George Mason University

47. University of Chicago

48. Yale University

49. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

50. Clemson University

51. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

52. Kansas State University

53. University of California - Irvine

54. University of Iowa

55. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

56. Case Western Reserve University

57. University of Cincinnati

58. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

59. University of Illinois at Chicago

60. University of Rochester

61. Lehigh University

62. University of Houston

63. Northeastern University

64. University of Oklahoma - Norman

65. California Institute of Technology

66. Auburn University

67. University of Connecticut

68. Oregon State University

69. University of Central Florida

70. Illinois Institute of Technology

71. University of Georgia

72. Boston University

73. SUNY at Albany

74. University of California-San Diego

75. Washington University in St Louis

76. California State University - Fullerton

77. University of South Florida

78. University of Utah

79. University of Delaware

80. Florida International University

81. University of Kentucky

82. University of Texas at Dallas

83. Dartmouth College

84. Texas Tech University

85. University of South Carolina - Columbia

86. Colorado State University - Fort Collins

87. University of California - San Francisco

88. University of Alabama

89. University of Missouri - St Louis

90. Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management

91. Vanderbilt University

92. Oklahoma State University

93. University of Missouri - Columbia

94. University of Louisville

95. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

96. University of Miami

97. Drexel University

98. Wayne State University

99. University of California - Riverside

100. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The best cities to study Operations Research in the United States based on the number of universities and their ranks are Cambridge , Austin , Stanford , and Berkeley .

Mathematics subfields in the United States

Operations Research Graduate Programs in America

1-25 of 26 results

MIT Sloan School of Management

Cambridge, MA •

Massachusetts Institute of Technology •

Graduate School

• • Rating 4.89 out of 5   9 reviews

Current Master's student: Rigorous and engaging. Great campus with exceptionally humble and kind humans. Good locations with easy access to suburbs. ... Read 9 reviews

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,

Graduate School ,

CAMBRIDGE, MA ,

9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.9 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says Rigorous and engaging. Great campus with exceptionally humble and kind humans. Good locations with easy access to suburbs. .

Read 9 reviews.

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ •

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help students in office hours or in sponsorship of projects. The worst part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the lack of structure for the graduate research program which can leave you feeling unsure on the direction of your research. ... Read 3 reviews

PRINCETON, NJ ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help... .

Read 3 reviews.

Viterbi School of Engineering

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: Best experience is that I have the ability to engage with other students and my professors in real time. My worst experience would have to be; moments of not being able to hear what is being talked about during a lecture due to classroom audio issues. ... Read 2 reviews

University of Southern California ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Best experience is that I have the ability to engage with other students and my professors in real time. My worst experience would have to be; moments of not being able to hear what is being talked about during a lecture due to classroom audio issues. .

Read 2 reviews.

Cornell Tech

New York, NY •

Cornell University •

• • Rating 4.25 out of 5   4 reviews

Current Master's student: Cornell Tech has a fantastic campus, the programs here are very industry-friendly and the professors are very experienced. ... Read 4 reviews

Cornell University ,

NEW YORK, NY ,

4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says Cornell Tech has a fantastic campus, the programs here are very industry-friendly and the professors are very experienced. .

Read 4 reviews.

College of Engineering - Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA •

Carnegie Mellon University •

• • Rating 4.75 out of 5   4 reviews

Master's Student: The interdisciplinary courses and the myriad type of courses offered gives you the opportunity to learn more than you anticipated. In addition, several niche topics and research work are available for graduate students and the college of engineering lives up to the industry expectations with its basic as well as advanced level course structure. ... Read 4 reviews

Blue checkmark.

Carnegie Mellon University ,

PITTSBURGH, PA ,

4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The interdisciplinary courses and the myriad type of courses offered gives you the opportunity to learn more than you anticipated. In addition, several niche topics and research work are available... .

Georgia Tech College of Engineering

Atlanta, GA •

Georgia Institute of Technology •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   1 review

Master's Student: The best part is sitting through top professors of the world’s lecture! The worst part is the time of classes! They are offered in the middle of the day! ... Read 1 review

Georgia Institute of Technology ,

ATLANTA, GA ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part is sitting through top professors of the world’s lecture! The worst part is the time of classes! They are offered in the middle of the day! .

Read 1 reviews.

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UC Berkeley College of Engineering

Berkeley, CA •

University of California - Berkeley •

Master's Student: It seems like a really cool program. I hope to recive some financial aid so that I can attend. The staff has been kind and helpful. ... Read 1 review

University of California - Berkeley ,

BERKELEY, CA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says It seems like a really cool program. I hope to recive some financial aid so that I can attend. The staff has been kind and helpful. .

Northeastern University College of Engineering

Boston, MA •

Northeastern University •

Master's Student: BEST PARTS OF THIS PROGRAM OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DATA ANALYTICS ENGINEERING IN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY IS THAT, THIS PROGRAM IS ONLINE, AND FLEXIBLE AND TIME RESTRICTION FOR STUDY, AND HAVE WORLD RENOWNED EDUCATION FACILITY FOR STUDENTS FROM ALL ROUND THE GLOBE TO ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF STUDENTS, MANAGERS, DIRECTORS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CHAIRMEN AS WELL. THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY IS BASED ON ONLINE PLATFORM TO EDUCATE MORE AND MORE STUDENTS TO ENROLLED AROUND THE GLOBE. DATA ANALYTICS ENGINEERING IN MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM CAN BUILT ABILITIES / CAPABILITIES OF STUDENTS TO MAKE AND TAKE DECISIONS ABOUT BUSINESS PROCESS PREDICTIONS AND FORECASTING ABOUT COMPANY HEALTH AND REGULARIZATION. THIS PROGRAM ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF STUDENTS ABOUT COMPANY PROFILE, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES, PRODUCTION, SALES & MARKETING AND ALL THE PROCESS. ... Read 1 review

Northeastern University ,

BOSTON, MA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says BEST PARTS OF THIS PROGRAM OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DATA ANALYTICS ENGINEERING IN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY IS THAT, THIS PROGRAM IS ONLINE, AND FLEXIBLE AND TIME RESTRICTION... .

Grainger College of Engineering

Urbana, IL •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ,

URBANA, IL ,

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Science

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute •

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ,

Lyle School of Engineering

Dallas, TX •

Southern Methodist University •

Southern Methodist University ,

DALLAS, TX ,

Weatherhead School of Management

Cleveland, OH •

Case Western Reserve University •

• • Rating 2.8 out of 5   5 reviews

Current Master's student: My time so far at the Weatherhead School of Management has been challenging, yet it has also been extremely rewarding and has opened up so many doors for me in terms of networking and expanding my intellectual world. I would highly recommend the Weatherhead School's online MBA in Healthcare Management because it is giving me the tools to succeed both through a traditional MBA curriculum and through courses that will help me to be successful in Healthcare Management simultaneously. ... Read 5 reviews

Case Western Reserve University ,

CLEVELAND, OH ,

5 Niche users give it an average review of 2.8 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says My time so far at the Weatherhead School of Management has been challenging, yet it has also been extremely rewarding and has opened up so many doors for me in terms of networking and expanding my... .

Read 5 reviews.

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Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO •

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   9 reviews

Other: I have overall enjoyed my experience at the Colorado School of Mines. The professors are very knowledgeable and I truly believe that the goal of this school is to create engineers who are going to succeed and create solutions in the real world. ... Read 9 reviews

GOLDEN, CO ,

9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Other says I have overall enjoyed my experience at the Colorado School of Mines. The professors are very knowledgeable and I truly believe that the goal of this school is to create engineers who are going to... .

NC State College of Sciences

Raleigh, NC •

North Carolina State University •

North Carolina State University ,

RALEIGH, NC ,

Rutgers Business School - New Brunswick

Piscataway, NJ •

Rutgers University - New Brunswick •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: Rutgers University is an outstanding school who are truly invested in the success of their students. They are present in their students' academic journeys. ... Read 3 reviews

Rutgers University - New Brunswick ,

PISCATAWAY, NJ ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Rutgers University is an outstanding school who are truly invested in the success of their students. They are present in their students' academic journeys. .

Kansas State University College of Arts and Sciences

Manhattan, KS •

Kansas State University •

Kansas State University ,

MANHATTAN, KS ,

Marxe School of Public and International Affairs

CUNY Baruch College •

• • Rating 4.14 out of 5   7 reviews

Master's Student: The Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College is an amazing institution. The program is on par with other top programs in NYC like NYU but it is a fraction of the cost for in-state students. I got my MPA in 2021 and had a truly top-notch education. The professors really care about the students and truly love what they do. I felt all my professors were experts in their field and very helpful. ... Read 7 reviews

CUNY Baruch College ,

7 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College is an amazing institution. The program is on par with other top programs in NYC like NYU but it is a fraction of the cost for... .

Read 7 reviews.

Stuart School of Business

Chicago, IL •

Illinois Institute of Technology •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: My experience so far has been great. I've received all pertaining information quickly and accurately. ... Read 2 reviews

Illinois Institute of Technology ,

CHICAGO, IL ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says My experience so far has been great. I've received all pertaining information quickly and accurately. .

College of Engineering and Science - Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL •

Florida Institute of Technology •

Florida Institute of Technology ,

MELBOURNE, FL ,

Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

Logan, UT •

Utah State University •

Graduate Student: Utah State University has an excellent Business School. Logan is a beautiful place to live and the campus is really nice and safe. ... Read 1 review

Utah State University ,

LOGAN, UT ,

Featured Review: Graduate Student says Utah State University has an excellent Business School. Logan is a beautiful place to live and the campus is really nice and safe. .

College of Arts and Sciences - Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI •

Western Michigan University •

Western Michigan University ,

KALAMAZOO, MI ,

College of Arts and Sciences - Georgia State University

Georgia State University •

Georgia State University ,

Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management

Baltimore, MD •

Morgan State University •

Alum: I had an overall great experience at Earl Graves School of Business. Set me up on the right path towards my career goals. ... Read 1 review

Morgan State University ,

BALTIMORE, MD ,

Featured Review: Alum says I had an overall great experience at Earl Graves School of Business. Set me up on the right path towards my career goals. .

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

Columbia University •

• • Rating 4.67 out of 5   6 reviews

Master's Student: I really enjoy the flexibility; I am currently a full-time Software Engineer, and being able to prioritize my career while also making progress towards a Masters degree is incredibly valuable. Lectures are all recorded and select office hours are held online to accommodate online students, which really helps. The only negative part of my experience has been trying to find an advisor to speak to about a course plan and getting related resources to help plan out my Masters. ... Read 6 reviews

Columbia University ,

6 Niche users give it an average review of 4.7 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I really enjoy the flexibility; I am currently a full-time Software Engineer, and being able to prioritize my career while also making progress towards a Masters degree is incredibly valuable.... .

Read 6 reviews.

Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management

Wright-patterson Air Force Base, OH •

Graduate Student: because I like engines and working with planes and aircraft also I like the physics a how it makes things work and the military things and things thats is related to it ... Read 1 review

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OH ,

Featured Review: Graduate Student says because I like engines and working with planes and aircraft also I like the physics a how it makes things work and the military things and things thats is related to it .

Showing results 1 through 25 of 26

Operations Research (Ph.D.)

Focus: advancing knowledge and research in areas such as mathematical optimization; stochastic and probabilistic methods; statistical modeling and analysis; design and analysis of algorithms; and computational and numerical methods.

Best Operations Research colleges in the U.S. 2024

Best operations research colleges in the u.s. for 2024.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers 2 Operations Research degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 23 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 17 Doctoral degrees, and 6 Master's degrees.

Cornell University offers 3 Operations Research degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 228 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 144 Master's degrees, 80 Bachelor's degrees, and 4 Doctoral degrees.

Northwestern University offers 2 Operations Research degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 5 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 4 Doctoral degrees, and 1 Master's degree.

University of California-Berkeley offers 3 Operations Research degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 261 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 186 Master's degrees, 71 Bachelor's degrees, and 4 Doctoral degrees.

Columbia University in the City of New York offers 4 Operations Research degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 376 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 281 Master's degrees, 73 Bachelor's degrees, 12 Doctoral degrees, and 10 Certificates.

Rice University offers 2 Operations Research degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 10 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 9 Master's degrees, and 1 Bachelor's degree.

Carnegie Mellon University offers 3 Operations Research degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 9 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 8 Doctoral degrees, and 1 Master's degree.

University of Southern California offers 1 Operations Research degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 10 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 10 Master's degrees.

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus offers 2 Operations Research degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 51 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 33 Master's degrees, and 18 Doctoral degrees.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers 1 Operations Research degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 22 Operations Research students graduated with students earning 22 Master's degrees.

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Statistics & Operational Research 2020

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Our Ph.D. program is a rigorous and academically-demanding program that involves independent investigation of open problems with the purpose of creating original scholarly work of the highest caliber. Doctoral graduates are prepared for academic teaching and research positions and placement in the private sector.

Operations Research field-faculty in Ithaca Campus, as well as in Cornell Tech New York City, advise Ph.D. students. All Ph.D. students complete their foundational course work in Ithaca during the first one or two years. Ph.D. students that would like to work with advisors located at Cornell Tech move to New York City after finishing their foundational course work. There is no separate application process for the students that would like to work with advisors in Cornell Tech.  The same course requirements apply to all students. Specific information about pursuing an ORIE Ph.D. in Cornell Tech is available through Cornell Tech’s Ph.D. programs website .

For the Fall 2024 admissions cycle, we do not require (nor will we accept) GRE scores. The deadline for applying to the Ph.D. program for fall admission is January 5, 2024 . We do not accept applications for spring admission.

We are one of the world’s preeminent Schools of Operations Research and Information Engineering—highly respected for the research and academic investigation conducted here and the role our work plays in influencing and seeding ideas in the academic community to reach new understanding. A leader in advancing and influencing the decision and management sciences, the School provides an unparalleled educational and research environment. The School’s core strength is our faculty, distinguished teachers and researchers, who build breadth and depth in fundamental science and methodological research.

One of the most remarkable aspects about Cornell is the extent of inter-departmental relations. The ties between our School and the departments of computer science and mathematics are particularly strong, as are our links with the Centers for Statistics and Applied Mathematics and with the Johnson School of Management. Our students often take courses offered by other units, in engineering and across the university. In particular, our Ph.D. students benefit from the strengths in the Operations Management and Finance groups in the Johnson School, in the practice and theory of computational mathematics, and in the study of probability and statistics throughout Cornell.

Furthermore, one of the unique aspects of Cornell is the “field system”. The faculty in the “Field of Operations Research” represent a broad range of areas, and have faculty appointments within departments spanning several colleges within Cornell. As such, our students are able to engage in a wide variety of projects, spanning from purely theoretical research such as mathematical probability, to practical applications of machine learning techniques on data sets provided by companies that consult with Cornell.

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Our PhD program will prepare you with the latest theory, computational tools, and research methods for a career of discovery in academia or industry. You will learn to innovate in a wide range of domains, such as artificial intelligence, high-tech, healthcare, energy, finance, consulting, data science, management, robotics, logistics, and human factors.

Dear Future Students

In my eyes,  UC Berkeley  is a dynamic campus filled with energy and ideas. It's a place where brilliant concepts and radical opinions coexist, fostering a level of inclusion and diversity that sets it apart from other institutions. The IEOR department stands out within this vibrant environment, offering an experience beyond the ordinary.

Whether it's  Professor Adler's  interludes about the life of George B. Dantzig (a former Berkeley IEOR Professor and one of the creators of the Simplex Algorithm) or  Professor Rhonda Righter’s  eye-opening insights into queueing techniques (which engraves “conditioning” into my thinking patterns), every moment in class is a valuable learning experience. IEOR faculty always go above and beyond to support students. For example, most recently,  Professor Candace Yano  responded to my email at 11:57 pm on a Friday just to address my seemingly trivial questions about a presentation slide.

Looking ahead, after my graduation (still a few years away), I envision taking a role as a research scientist in an industry where I can make a meaningful impact. While I haven't pinpointed the specific industry I'll dive into, the flexibility and wealth of choices at Berkeley IEOR make that uncertainty perfectly okay. The ability to customize minor courses (and even set your own titles) showcases a high degree of flexibility, offering many options tailored to individual preferences and goals.

Addressing the question of why choose Berkeley IEOR over other grad schools, I offer a broader perspective: "A PhD is not just a degree; it is a lifestyle." Berkeley IEOR has become the ideal environment for me to live the life I envisioned, with its supportive atmosphere, an exceptional cohort, supportive mentors, and all the advantages of being part of UC Berkeley and the Bay Area.

Sincerely, Ricky Huang Current IEOR PhD Student

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