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)
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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