Best Schools for Systems Science and Theory in 2026
These are the top schools offering Systems Science and Theory, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Systems Science and Theory graduate earns $49,461/yr across 6 schools.
All Systems Science and Theory Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public |
74
74–74 |
$65,683/yr | 17.7x |
| 2 |
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit |
68
67–69 |
$95,598/yr | 4.2x |
| 3 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public |
43
50–44 |
$35,239/yr | 8.3x |
| 4 |
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit |
34
40–35 |
$36,442/yr | 1.6x |
| 5 |
Marshall University
Huntington, WV · Public |
33
42–34 |
$29,539/yr | 7.3x |
| 6 |
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, RI · Private nonprofit |
31
38–32 |
$34,265/yr | 0.4x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.