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Management Science

Students study mathematical and statistical methods for business decision-making, including optimization, simulation, data analytics, and supply chain modeling. Graduates typically pursue careers as data analysts, management consultants, supply chain analysts, operations researchers, and business intelligence specialists. The growing emphasis on data-driven business decisions makes these quantitative skills exceptionally valuable.

Compare Schools

Schools

118

Programs analyzed

Earnings

$62,729

Avg 1-yr grad earnings

Range $33,097–$104,502

Outlook

71/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

AI Risk

Very High

58% task exposure

Field Overview

What Management Science graduates do

With a degree in Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, you’re trained to be the analytical mind in the room. Early in your career as a management analyst or operations research analyst, you'll dig into a company’s data, interview teams, and build models to solve complex problems like supply chain bottlenecks or inefficient pricing. This analytical foundation often leads to senior roles like general and operations manager, where you're responsible for a department's performance and budget, or even to the C-suite.

The career landscape is dynamic. While data science and operations research roles are projected to grow rapidly, others like insurance underwriting face headwinds. The common thread is the impact of AI. For the most analytical paths, exposure is high, meaning AI is fundamentally reshaping the work. Entry-level data-crunching is being automated, so your value shifts from doing the calculations to architecting the AI-powered systems, challenging their outputs, and making the final strategic judgment calls that require human experience. Adaptability is key.

Related majors worth comparing: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Applied Mathematics.

Career Trajectories

Where Management Science graduates work

Common career paths for Management Science graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 492,600 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role	Median Pay	Annual Openings	10-yr Growth	AI Exposure
Chief executives	$206,420	22,200	+4.3%	High · 56%
Actuaries	$125,770 $91K–$165K	2,400	+21.8%	High · 50%
Data scientists	$112,590 $83K–$156K	23,400	+33.5%	High · 64%
Financial risk specialists	$106,000 $80K–$145K	4,800	+6.5%	High · 53%
Statisticians	$103,300 $79K–$138K	2,000	+8.5%	High · 66%
General and operations managers	$102,950 $67K–$164K	308,700	+4.4%	Moderate · 48%
Management analysts	$101,190 $77K–$133K	98,100	+8.8%	Moderate · 40%
Business teachers, postsecondary	$97,270 $63K–$140K	8,100	+5.7%	Moderate · 49%
Operations research analysts	$91,290 $67K–$124K	9,600	+21.5%	High · 63%
Insurance underwriters	$79,880 $63K–$105K	8,200	-2.6%	High · 57%
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary	$79,350 $61K–$106K	4,400	+2.3%	High · 54%
Survey researchers	$63,380 $46K–$85K	700	-5.2%	High · 62%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Top Institutions

Best schools for Management Science

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 118.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 91

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · Public

$83,260 1-yr earnings

27.3x ROI multiple

Very High AI risk

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE · #2

$75,137/yr · 26.0x ROI

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD · #3

$72,304/yr · 22.9x ROI

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN · #4

$70,903/yr · 24.3x ROI

#	School	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	ROI
5	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ · Public	87	$78,177	16.2x
6	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA · Public	87	$77,877	16.7x
7	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ · Public	87	$73,618	20.0x
8	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public	87	$70,324	21.0x
9	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL · Public	87	$62,578	42.9x
10	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY · Public	87	$62,306	31.5x
11	University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	87	$60,290	38.3x
12	Ball State University Muncie, IN · Public	86	$67,350	20.9x
13	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public	85	$72,527	14.7x
14	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC · Public	85	$68,804	16.9x
15	George Mason University Fairfax, VA · Public	85	$68,049	16.8x
16	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT · Public	84	$71,600	13.8x
17	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT · Public	84	$71,600	13.8x
18	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT · Public	84	$71,600	13.8x
19	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT · Public	84	$71,600	13.8x
20	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA · Public	84	$66,099	15.5x
21	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public	84	$62,069	17.4x
22	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA · Public	84	$62,069	17.6x
23	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA · Public	83	$59,150	18.0x
24	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR · Public	83	$57,257	21.1x
25	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA · Public	83	$55,596	23.2x
26	Temple University Philadelphia, PA · Public	82	$74,778	10.7x
27	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH · Public	82	$74,770	11.7x
28	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	82	$71,600	11.7x
29	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	82	$68,814	15.0x
30	Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN · Public	82	$67,267	17.1x
31	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI · Public	82	$66,149	14.4x
32	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public	82	$59,501	15.4x
33	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL · Public	81	$60,832	15.7x
34	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX · Public	81	$47,528	25.1x
35	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX · Public	80	$61,303	13.6x
36	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public	80	$60,973	13.1x
37	National Louis University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	80	$59,084	15.0x
38	Drake University Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit	79	$80,044	4.9x
39	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA · Public	78	$81,377	21.1x
40	Brigham Young University Provo, UT · Private nonprofit	78	$79,777	29.7x
41	Bentley University Waltham, MA · Private nonprofit	76	$81,103	3.5x
42	University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	76	$78,978	3.7x
43	Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit	75	$69,590	6.5x
44	Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK · Public	74	$44,959	21.2x
45	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	73	$74,357	3.0x
46	Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	73	$65,627	3.8x
47	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL · Public	73	$51,128	11.9x
48	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA · Public	72	$93,565	10.1x
49	Texas A & M University-Commerce Commerce, TX · Public	72	$63,945	14.9x
50	Appalachian State University Boone, NC · Public	72	$56,340	17.7x
51	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH · Public	72	$47,040	12.5x
52	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY · Public	72	$45,090	19.5x
53	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH · Private nonprofit	71	$76,718	10.7x
54	Illinois State University Normal, IL · Public	71	$47,553	10.6x
55	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA · Public	71	$45,720	13.4x
56	University of Delaware Newark, DE · Public	70	$73,420	10.4x
57	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI · Public	70	$69,446	10.8x
58	Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public	70	$64,841	11.9x
59	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS · Public	70	$62,993	12.5x
60	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC · Public	70	$51,384	16.8x
61	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI · Public	69	$69,443	9.9x
62	University of North Texas Denton, TX · Public	69	$58,615	12.1x
63	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA · Public	69	$49,830	16.6x
64	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI · Public	69	$46,886	10.4x
65	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO · Public	68	$61,709	10.5x
66	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA · Public	68	$48,546	15.3x
67	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL · Public	68	$45,665	10.4x
68	Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT · Public	68	$42,454	12.3x
69	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	67	$104,502	3.0x
70	New York University New York, NY · Private nonprofit	67	$102,572	3.2x
71	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit	67	$99,843	3.1x
72	North Central College Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit	67	$85,168	3.8x
73	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit	67	$65,070	8.3x
74	University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI · Public	67	$61,297	9.3x
75	Roosevelt University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	67	$48,715	7.2x
76	Georgetown University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit	66	$92,963	2.6x
77	St. John's University-New York Queens, NY · Private nonprofit	66	$82,432	3.1x
78	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ · Public	66	$73,618	—
79	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit	65	$83,810	2.3x
80	University of Portland Portland, OR · Private nonprofit	65	$53,136	2.7x
81	Manhattan College Riverdale, NY · Private nonprofit	65	$51,113	3.0x
82	Mid-America Christian University Oklahoma City, OK · Private nonprofit	65	$45,047	7.5x
83	William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ · Public	65	$44,322	9.3x
84	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL · Public	65	$42,711	10.8x
85	DePaul University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	64	$51,522	3.1x
86	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY · Public	64	$49,823	9.9x
87	Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA · Private nonprofit	63	$80,046	2.0x
88	Villanova University Villanova, PA · Private nonprofit	63	$76,606	2.0x
89	Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA · Private nonprofit	63	$73,497	2.7x
90	University of California-Davis Davis, CA · Public	63	$52,684	7.6x
91	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY · Private nonprofit	63	$51,494	2.5x
92	Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN · Private nonprofit	62	$67,129	2.6x
93	Creighton University Omaha, NE · Private nonprofit	62	$65,365	2.5x
94	Benedictine University Lisle, IL · Private nonprofit	62	$58,820	3.3x
95	Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL · Public	62	$42,500	9.7x
96	Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ · Private nonprofit	61	$58,890	2.8x
97	La Salle University Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	61	$57,783	3.1x
98	Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA · Private nonprofit	61	$49,039	3.4x
99	University of St Francis Joliet, IL · Private nonprofit	61	$45,735	3.6x
100	George Washington University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit	60	$66,362	1.6x
101	University of Denver Denver, CO · Private nonprofit	60	$65,557	1.8x
102	Seattle University Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit	60	$63,496	1.9x
103	Bryant University Smithfield, RI · Private nonprofit	60	$60,162	1.9x
104	Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN · Private nonprofit	60	$57,558	2.3x
105	Northwood University Midland, MI · Private nonprofit	60	$54,298	3.1x
106	McKendree University Lebanon, IL · Private nonprofit	60	$45,899	3.8x
107	California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA · Private nonprofit	59	$57,276	1.8x
108	Siena College Loudonville, NY · Private nonprofit	59	$54,855	2.1x
109	University of Rochester Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit	58	$56,463	1.2x
110	Trinity University San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit	58	$55,887	1.7x
111	Jacksonville University Jacksonville, FL · Private nonprofit	58	$48,375	2.5x
112	Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit	56	$41,787	2.9x
113	Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, NC · Private nonprofit	55	$45,534	2.7x
114	Ohio Northern University Ada, OH · Private nonprofit	53	$45,730	2.6x
115	Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA · Private nonprofit	49	$42,127	1.1x
116	La Roche University Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit	49	$37,911	3.5x
117	Coppin State University Baltimore, MD · Public	46	$39,510	4.8x
118	Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit	45	$33,097	3.5x

Compare 118 Management Science programs side by side in our full ranking →

Highest Earnings Top 5

University of Pennsylvania PA	$104,502
New York University NY	$102,572
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA	$99,843
University of Virginia-Main Campus VA	$93,565
Georgetown University DC	$92,963

Best ROI Top 5

Florida State University FL	42.9x
University of Florida FL	38.3x
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College NY	31.5x
Brigham Young University UT	29.7x
University of Wisconsin-Madison WI	27.3x

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Management Science.

Accounting Marketing Business Administration Finance Hospitality Management International Business Human Resources Management Information Systems Business Business Economics Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Real Estate

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Management Science offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Management Science trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

FAQ

Frequently asked about Management Science

What do Management Science graduates make in their first year?

First-year earnings for Management Science graduates average $62,729 annually, based on data from 118 programs. The range spans $33,097 at the low end to $104,502 at the top.

What is the AI automation risk for Management Science?

Management Science is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with 58% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Where should I study Management Science?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks #1 for Management Science with a score of 91/100 and graduate earnings of $83,260/yr.

What's the ROI on a Management Science degree?

The average 10-year earnings multiple is 10.8x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.