UnisHub University Compass

Management Science: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Management Science is an interdisciplinary field that equips students with advanced analytical tools to solve complex business challenges through data-driven decision-making. By integrating quantitative methods with real-world organizational contexts, the program prepares learners to model, optimize, and improve operational efficiency across industries.

  • Optimization Theory and Mathematical Techniques: Explores methods for maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs using mathematical models, such as linear and nonlinear programming, to support strategic planning and resource allocation.
  • Statistical Modeling: Focuses on applying statistical methods to interpret data, predict trends, and assess uncertainty in business environments, enabling evidence-based forecasting and risk evaluation.
  • Data Mining: Involves extracting meaningful patterns and insights from large datasets using algorithms and machine learning approaches to inform business strategy and customer behavior analysis.
  • Data Warehousing: Covers the design and management of centralized data repositories that consolidate information from multiple sources for efficient querying, reporting, and analytical processing.
  • Stochastic and Dynamic Modeling: Applies probabilistic and time-dependent models to simulate real-world systems under uncertainty, supporting decision-making in evolving or unpredictable business scenarios.
  • Operations Analysis: Emphasizes systematic evaluation of business processes to identify inefficiencies, enhance performance, and implement scalable improvements across supply chains, production, and service delivery.
  • Prototype Systems and Evaluation Models: Involves the development, testing, and validation of simulation tools and analytical frameworks to assess the impact of decisions before real-world implementation.

Management Science Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

34,245
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
348
Universities & Colleges
6
Career Pathways

Management Science Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Management Science degrees, including Chief Executives, Data Scientists and General and Operations Managers. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 5,113,150 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Chief Executives 11-1011 $206,420 $73,710 - $239,200 211,850 $99.24
Data Scientists 15-2051 $112,590 $63,650 - $194,410 233,440 $54.13
General and Operations Managers 11-1021 $102,950 $47,420 - $239,200 3,584,420 $49.50
Management Analysts 13-1111 $101,190 $59,720 - $174,140 893,900 $48.65
Business Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1011 $97,270 $46,460 - $210,530 81,780 N/A
Operations Research Analysts 15-2031 $91,290 $53,910 - $159,280 107,760 $43.89

Management Science Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $83,528 in Arkansas to $152,862 in District of Columbia—a 83% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, New Jersey, and Washington. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 5,113,150 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Management Science by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 100 institutions offering Management Science programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Management Science is found at University of Southern California (USC) (2,148 graduates), New York University (NYU) (1,929 graduates), Northwestern University (1,745 graduates), University of Chicago (UChicago) (1,258 graduates), and Northeastern University Professional Programs (1,133 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 29,115 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Location Control Website
University of Southern California (USC)
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
2,148 Los Angeles, California Private usc.edu
New York University (NYU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
1,929 New York, New York Private nyu.edu
Northwestern University
Master's
Post-Master's
1,745 Evanston, Illinois Private northwestern.edu
University of Chicago (UChicago)
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
1,258 Chicago, Illinois Private uchicago.edu
Northeastern University Professional Programs
Bachelor's
Master's
1,133 Boston, Massachusetts Private northeastern.edu
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Master's
954 Chapel Hill, North Carolina Public unc.edu
Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
866 Tempe, Arizona Public asu.edu
Emory University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
744 Atlanta, Georgia Private emory.edu
University of California (UCLA)
Master's
737 Los Angeles, California Public ucla.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
733 Cambridge, Massachusetts Private web.mit.edu
University of California (UCB)
Master's
583 Berkeley, California Public berkeley.edu
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
551 Dallas, Texas Private smu.edu
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Bachelor's
542 Blacksburg, Virginia Public vt.edu
Stanford University
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
534 Stanford, California Private stanford.edu
Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
Master's
522 Baltimore, Maryland Private jhu.edu
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
442 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Public lsu.edu
University of Maryland (UMCP)
Bachelor's
Master's
436 College Park, Maryland Public umd.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
370 Richardson, Texas Public utdallas.edu
Brigham Young University (BYU)
Bachelor's
Master's
364 Provo, Utah Private byu.edu
University of California (UCD)
Master's
351 Davis, California Public ucdavis.edu
Rutgers University
Bachelor's
Master's
314 New Brunswick, New Jersey Public newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)
Master's
304 Wilmington, North Carolina Public uncw.edu
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
Master's
304 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Private cmu.edu
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU)
Master's
302 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Private harrisburgu.edu
North Carolina State University (NC State)
Master's
298 Raleigh, North Carolina Public ncsu.edu
Cornell University
Master's
286 Ithaca, New York Private cornell.edu
University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
269 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private upenn.edu
The University of Tennessee
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
239 Knoxville, Tennessee Public utk.edu
Binghamton University
Master's
238 Vestal, New York Public binghamton.edu
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
Bachelor's
Master's
232 Chicago, Illinois Public uic.edu
Arizona State University
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
219 Scottsdale, Arizona Public asu.edu
University of Cincinnati (UC)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
212 Cincinnati, Ohio Public uc.edu
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Master's
211 Atlanta, Georgia Public gatech.edu
University of California (UCI)
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
200 Irvine, California Public uci.edu
University of Notre Dame (ND)
Bachelor's
Master's
196 Notre Dame, Indiana Private nd.edu
University of Washington (UW)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
190 Seattle, Washington Public washington.edu
University of Arkansas (U of A)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
188 Fayetteville, Arkansas Public uark.edu
University of South Carolina (USC)
Bachelor's
188 Columbia, South Carolina Public sc.edu
Yale University
Master's
186 New Haven, Connecticut Private yale.edu
Saint Joseph's University (SJU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
186 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private sju.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Bachelor's
185 Champaign, Illinois Public illinois.edu
Hofstra University
Master's
181 Hempstead, New York Private hofstra.edu
Arkansas State University (A-State)
Bachelor's
Master's
175 Jonesboro, Arkansas Public astate.edu
University of Florida (UF)
Bachelor's
170 Gainesville, Florida Public ufl.edu
Georgetown University (GU)
Master's
Other Award
167 Washington, District of Columbia Private georgetown.edu
Loyola University Chicago (LUC)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
166 Chicago, Illinois Private luc.edu
Drexel University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
166 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private drexel.edu
University of Utah (U of U)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
166 Salt Lake City, Utah Public utah.edu
Grand Canyon University (GCU)
Bachelor's
Master's
165 Phoenix, Arizona Private gcu.edu
Wake Forest University (WFC)
Bachelor's
Master's
161 Winston-Salem, North Carolina Private wfu.edu
University of Maine (UMaine)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
157 Orono, Maine Public umaine.edu
California State University (CSUEB)
Master's
153 Hayward, California Public csueastbay.edu
University of Houston (UH)
Bachelor's
Master's
152 Houston, Texas Public uh.edu
Grand Valley State University (GVSU)
Bachelor's
150 Allendale, Michigan Public gvsu.edu
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Master's
149 Old Westbury, New York Private nyit.edu
DePaul University
Bachelor's
Master's
146 Chicago, Illinois Private depaul.edu
Lewis University
Bachelor's
Master's
146 Romeoville, Illinois Private lewisu.edu
University of California (UCSD)
Bachelor's
Master's
144 La Jolla, California Public ucsd.edu
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Master's
140 Denver, Colorado Public ucdenver.edu
Auburn University (AU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
134 Auburn, Alabama Public auburn.edu
George Washington University (GW)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
133 Washington, District of Columbia Private gwu.edu
Illinois State University (ISU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
133 Normal, Illinois Public illinoisstate.edu
Florida International University (FIU)
Bachelor's
Master's
132 Miami, Florida Public fiu.edu
Bridgewater State University (BSU)
Bachelor's
126 Bridgewater, Massachusetts Public bridgew.edu
Villanova University
Bachelor's
Master's
124 Villanova, Pennsylvania Private villanova.edu
University of Phoenix (UOPX)
Other Award
123 Phoenix, Arizona Private phoenix.edu
Dartmouth College
Master's
122 Hanover, New Hampshire Private dartmouth.edu
William & Mary (W&M)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
118 Williamsburg, Virginia Public wm.edu
The University of Alabama (UA)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
117 Tuscaloosa, Alabama Public ua.edu
Northern Illinois University (NIU)
Bachelor's
Master's
116 Dekalb, Illinois Public niu.edu
Saint Louis University (SLU)
Bachelor's
Master's
115 Saint Louis, Missouri Private slu.edu
Washington University in St Louis (WashU)
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
115 Saint Louis, Missouri Private wustl.edu
University of Pittsburgh
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Post-Master's
Other Award
113 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public pitt.edu
Santa Clara University (SCU)
Master's
110 Santa Clara, California Private scu.edu
American University (AU)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
109 Washington, District of Columbia Private american.edu
Creighton University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
109 Omaha, Nebraska Private creighton.edu
Pepperdine University
Master's
108 Malibu, California Private pepperdine.edu
University of Kansas (KU)
Bachelor's
Master's
108 Lawrence, Kansas Public ku.edu
University of Georgia (UGA)
Master's
106 Athens, Georgia Public uga.edu
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Master's
106 University, Mississippi Public olemiss.edu
Seattle University (Seattle U)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
106 Seattle, Washington Private seattleu.edu
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Certificate (≥2 yrs)
Postbac Cert.
104 Adelphi, Maryland Public umgc.edu
Boston University (BU)
Master's
104 Boston, Massachusetts Private bu.edu
Ohio State University
Postbac Cert.
Master's
104 Columbus, Ohio Public osu.edu
Oregon State University (OSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
102 Corvallis, Oregon Public oregonstate.edu
Shenandoah University (SU)
Master's
101 Winchester, Virginia Private su.edu
American Public University System (APUS)
Bachelor's
Master's
98 Charles Town, West Virginia Private apus.edu
Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech)
Associate's
Other Award
96 Raleigh, North Carolina Public waketech.edu
University of Scranton
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
96 Scranton, Pennsylvania Private scranton.edu
University of Bridgeport (UB)
Master's
94 Bridgeport, Connecticut Private bridgeport.edu
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
94 Newark, New Jersey Public njit.edu
Duquesne University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
94 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Private duq.edu
University of Louisville (UofL)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
92 Louisville, Kentucky Public louisville.edu
University at Buffalo (UB)
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
92 Buffalo, New York Public buffalo.edu
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Bachelor's
90 Charlotte, North Carolina Public charlotte.edu
Manhattan College
Bachelor's
Master's
88 Riverdale, New York Private manhattan.edu
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
Master's
87 Indiana, Pennsylvania Public iup.edu
Clark University
Master's
86 Worcester, Massachusetts Private clarku.edu
Suffolk University
Bachelor's
Master's
84 Boston, Massachusetts Private suffolk.edu
Elon University
Bachelor's
Master's
83 Elon, North Carolina Private elon.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Management Science programs

How much can I earn with a Management Science degree?

Salaries for Management Science graduates vary by role and location. Chief Executives earn a median of $206,420 annually, while Data Scientists earn around $112,590. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $152,862 compared to $83,528 in Arkansas. Approximately 5,113,150 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Management Science programs?

Currently 348 accredited institutions offer Management Science degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Southern California (USC) (2,148 graduates), New York University (NYU) (1,929 graduates), and Northwestern University (1,745 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Management Science growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 4,459 in 2010 to 34,245 in 2023-24. This represents a 668% increase overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Management Science degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Chief Executives, Data Scientists, and General and Operations Managers. Related occupations employ approximately 5,113,150 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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