College Rankings

Best Management Science Schools

The top 25 of 133 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Management Science degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Management Science worth it?

For students who want a business career but prefer hard math over soft skills, this degree is a financial home run. It strips away the ambiguity of a general management degree and replaces it with highly marketable STEM skills like statistical modeling, forecasting, and operations research. Because every Fortune 500 company needs quants to optimize their logistics and pricing, the payoff is incredibly reliable. The undeniable winners here are large, research-heavy public universities with massive business schools. You don't need an elite private college brand to get a premium salary in this field; you just need a school with a massive corporate recruiting pipeline and a sensible tuition rate.

Filter by state

#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	90	$83,260	$17,354†	+$763K
2	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	NE	88	$75,137	$17,747†	+$680K
3	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	88	$73,618	$14,967†	+$676K
4	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	88	$72,304	$15,678†	+$660K
5	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus	CT	88	$71,600	$10,875†	+$672K
6	University of Connecticut-Avery Point	CT	88	$71,600	$13,807†	+$661K
7	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	87	$78,177	$24,406†	+$684K
8	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	87	$72,527	$14,355†	+$668K
9	University of Connecticut-Stamford	CT	87	$71,600	$16,798†	+$649K
10	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	CT	87	$71,600	$16,403†	+$650K
11	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	87	$70,903	$14,600†	+$651K
12	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	NY	87	$62,306	$3,033†	+$611K
13	University of Florida	FL	87	$60,290	$6,541†	+$577K
14	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	VA	86	$77,877	$24,953†	+$679K
15	Ball State University	IN	86	$67,350	$14,940†	+$614K
16	University of California-Santa Barbara	CA	86	$66,099	$16,109†	+$597K
17	Florida State University	FL	86	$62,578	$11,297†	+$581K
18	Drake University	IA	85	$80,044	$29,127	+$684K
19	George Mason University	VA	85	$68,049	$17,915†	+$609K
20	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	85	$62,069	$14,091†	+$564K
21	University of Washington-Bothell Campus	WA	85	$62,069	$12,319†	+$571K
22	University of California-San Diego	CA	84	$60,973	$12,470†	+$560K
23	University of Connecticut	CT	83	$71,600	$25,097†	+$616K
24	University of Iowa	IA	83	$70,324	$22,531†	+$613K
25	Indiana State University	IN	83	$67,267	$10,873†	+$629K
26	Central Michigan University	MI	83	$66,149	$17,597†	+$591K
27	University of St Thomas	MN	82	$78,978	$29,155	+$673K
28	Temple University	PA	82	$74,778	$28,198†	+$635K
29	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	82	$68,814	$17,339†	+$619K
30	National Louis University	IL	82	$59,084	$12,641	+$540K
31	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	81	$68,804	$22,811†	+$597K
32	The University of Texas at Dallas	TX	81	$61,303	$18,267†	+$540K
33	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	81	$59,501	$18,976†	+$519K
34	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	LA	81	$59,150	$19,151†	+$515K
35	The University of Texas at San Antonio	TX	81	$47,528	$10,836†	+$432K
36	University of Arkansas	AR	80	$57,257	$18,209†	+$500K
37	Georgia State University	GA	80	$55,596	$15,931†	+$492K
38	Bentley University	MA	79	$81,103	$37,930	+$659K
39	Miami University-Oxford	OH	79	$74,770	$28,384†	+$634K
40	Maryville University of Saint Louis	MO	79	$69,590	$22,066	+$608K
41	Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia	PA	79	$65,627	$29,689	+$538K
42	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly	PA	78	$58,140	$14,596†	+$523K
43	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny	PA	78	$58,140	$15,521†	+$519K
44	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	77	$99,843	$20,111	+$918K
45	The University of Alabama	AL	77	$60,832	$22,420†	+$519K
46	Brigham Young University	UT	76	$79,777	$15,564	+$736K
47	Drexel University	PA	76	$74,357	$38,509	+$590K
48	Oakland University	MI	76	$69,446	$9,120†	+$658K
49	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango	PA	76	$58,140	$18,095†	+$509K
50	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton	PA	76	$58,140	$17,910†	+$510K
51	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver	PA	76	$58,140	$17,418†	+$512K
52	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton	PA	76	$58,140	$17,597†	+$511K
53	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington	PA	76	$58,140	$18,071†	+$509K
54	University of Virginia-Main Campus	VA	75	$93,565	$21,565†	+$849K
55	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington	PA	75	$58,140	$18,305†	+$508K
56	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley	PA	75	$58,140	$18,220†	+$509K
57	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York	PA	75	$58,140	$19,047†	+$505K
58	Northern Illinois University	IL	75	$51,128	$13,391†	+$458K
59	University of Pennsylvania	PA	74	$104,502	$28,699	+$930K
60	North Central College	IL	74	$85,168	$21,044	+$768K
61	Central Washington University	WA	74	$81,377	$18,476†	+$740K
62	University of Michigan-Dearborn	MI	74	$61,297	$9,492†	+$575K
63	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto	PA	74	$58,140	$19,454†	+$504K
64	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill	PA	74	$58,140	$19,659†	+$503K
65	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	74	$45,665	$10,974†	+$413K
66	Southeastern Oklahoma State University	OK	74	$44,959	$8,039†	+$417K
67	East Texas A&M University	TX	73	$63,945	$11,841†	+$592K
68	Cleveland State University	OH	73	$47,040	$14,764†	+$411K
69	University of St Francis	IL	73	$45,735	$13,006	+$405K
70	University of Delaware	DE	72	$73,420	$17,799†	+$663K
71	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine	PA	72	$58,140	$22,585†	+$491K
72	Illinois State University	IL	72	$47,553	$19,398†	+$398K
73	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	PA	71	$58,140	$24,558†	+$483K
74	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	PA	71	$58,140	$23,330†	+$488K
75	Saint Mary's University of Minnesota	MN	71	$57,558	$11,704	+$529K
76	University of Portland	OR	71	$53,136	$28,210	+$419K
77	Manhattan University	NY	71	$51,113	$27,256	+$402K
78	California State University-Fullerton	CA	71	$49,830	$6,555†	+$472K
79	Grand Valley State University	MI	71	$46,886	$16,317†	+$404K
80	New York University	NY	70	$102,572	$37,050	+$878K
81	University of Notre Dame	IN	70	$83,810	$26,780	+$731K
82	Michigan State University	MI	70	$69,443	$19,680†	+$616K
83	Valparaiso University	IN	70	$67,129	$18,578	+$597K
84	University of Missouri-St Louis	MO	70	$61,709	$15,071†	+$557K
85	Bridgewater State University	MA	70	$45,720	$16,383†	+$392K
86	Mid-America Christian University	OK	70	$45,047	$16,692	+$384K
87	Roosevelt University	IL	69	$48,715	$20,194	+$406K
88	St. John's University-New York	NY	68	$82,432	$29,999	+$704K
89	University of Kansas	KS	68	$62,993	$18,059†	+$558K
90	University of North Texas	TX	68	$58,615	$15,649†	+$524K
91	Western Kentucky University	KY	68	$49,823	$10,990†	+$454K
92	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	68	$42,711	$13,297†	+$374K
93	Georgetown University	DC	67	$92,963	$40,815	+$766K
94	Lebanon Valley College	PA	67	$73,497	$26,979	+$627K
95	Hofstra University	NY	67	$51,494	$34,176	+$378K
96	University of Wyoming	WY	67	$45,090	$13,599†	+$397K
97	Western Connecticut State University	CT	67	$42,454	$17,604†	+$354K
98	Grand Canyon University	AZ	66	$65,070	$22,472	+$561K
99	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	66	$58,140	$32,875†	+$450K
100	Appalachian State University	NC	66	$56,340	$16,836†	+$496K
101	University of California-Davis	CA	66	$52,684	$14,741†	+$468K
102	DePaul University	IL	66	$51,522	$30,902	+$392K
103	San Francisco State University	CA	66	$48,546	$12,278†	+$436K
104	Eastern Illinois University	IL	66	$42,500	$12,786†	+$374K
105	Auburn University	AL	65	$64,841	$24,323†	+$551K
106	La Salle University	PA	65	$57,783	$19,409	+$500K
107	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	65	$51,384	$15,435†	+$452K
108	William Paterson University of New Jersey	NJ	65	$44,322	$18,745†	+$368K
109	Boston College	MA	64	$80,046	$41,704	+$634K
110	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	64	$76,718	$36,708	+$620K
111	Saint Ambrose University	IA	64	$49,039	$24,691	+$392K
112	Jacksonville University	FL	64	$48,375	$25,180	+$383K
113	Villanova University	PA	63	$76,606	$43,756	+$591K
114	Benedictine University	IL	63	$58,820	$22,313	+$499K
115	McKendree University	IL	63	$45,899	$24,717	+$360K
116	Creighton University	NE	62	$65,365	$31,568	+$527K
117	Rider University	NJ	62	$58,890	$24,792	+$490K
118	Trinity University	TX	62	$55,887	$23,464	+$465K
119	George Washington University	DC	61	$66,362	$36,586	+$517K
120	University of Denver	CO	61	$65,557	$36,131	+$511K
121	Seattle University	WA	61	$63,496	$34,662	+$496K
122	California Lutheran University	CA	60	$57,276	$30,109	+$452K
123	University of Rochester	NY	60	$56,463	$29,278	+$448K
124	Bryant University	RI	59	$60,162	$41,219	+$437K
125	Northwood University	MI	59	$54,298	$27,232	+$434K
126	Siena University	NY	58	$54,855	$33,733	+$414K
127	Duquesne University	PA	57	$41,787	$37,730	+$267K
128	Ohio Northern University	OH	56	$45,730	$24,478	+$359K
129	Lenoir-Rhyne University	NC	56	$45,534	$20,689	+$373K
130	La Roche University	PA	54	$37,911	$20,794	+$296K
131	Cornell College	IA	51	$42,127	$23,634	+$327K
132	Texas Wesleyan University	TX	49	$33,097	$24,066	+$235K
133	Coppin State University	MD	42	$39,510	$9,977†	+$355K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

The University of Wisconsin-Madison takes the top spot because it perfectly marries a rigorous quantitative curriculum with an absolute chokehold on Midwest corporate recruiting. UW-Madison’s graduates feed directly into major manufacturing, retail, and tech firms across Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. Companies in these sectors rely heavily on supply chain optimization and market analytics, making Wisconsin's data-fluent grads immediately valuable on day one.

The most striking trend on this list is the absolute dominance of the University of Connecticut system. UConn’s regional campuses—Waterbury, Avery Point, Stamford, and Hartford—pack the top ten. Why? Because they offer a rock-bottom net price for local commuters while plugging them directly into the Hartford insurance and financial services juggernaut. Firms like Aetna, Travelers, and Cigna need an endless supply of risk analysts and data-savvy managers, and UConn’s regional campuses deliver them at a fraction of the cost of a traditional four-year residential experience.

Geography and local industry pipelines drive the rest of the board. Look at CUNY Baruch College at #12: it is a legendary commuter school that operates as a hyper-affordable, direct pipeline into Wall Street and Manhattan’s corporate data teams. Similarly, Drake University punches way above its weight at #18 because it sits in Des Moines, Iowa—a quiet but massive hub for the insurance and actuarial industries that aggressively recruits local quantitative talent.

What is Management Science?

Management Science is the highly quantitative, data-driven side of business administration. Graduates spend their days building predictive models, optimizing supply chains, and analyzing massive datasets to help companies make mathematically sound operational decisions rather than relying on gut instinct.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Management Science and standard Business Administration?

Management Science is heavily focused on math, statistics, and programming. While a general business major might study organizational behavior or high-level strategy, a Management Science major is learning how to build algorithmic models to reduce shipping costs or forecast inventory demand. It is much closer to applied mathematics or industrial engineering than a traditional management degree.

Do I need to learn how to code?

Yes. While you won't be a software engineer, you will be expected to know SQL, Python, or R to manipulate large datasets. The highest-paying entry-level roles in this field go to graduates who can pull their own data and run regressions without needing to ask the IT department for help.

Why are there so many state schools on this list?

Management Science is a highly practical, industry-facing discipline. Massive state schools—like Arizona State, Maryland, and Illinois—have the scale to partner directly with massive corporations for capstone projects and internships. These companies recruit by the hundreds from these public universities, driving up graduate salaries while the tuition stays relatively low, creating the perfect formula for high rankings.