by our College Data Analytics Team
[Operations Management](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/business-administration-and-management/operations-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong operations management education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value operations management schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the operations management degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in operations management, no school beat Yavapai College this year. Located in the city of Prescott, Yavapai College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,948, compared with $9,486 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for operations management graduates is $14,087. Early-career operations management graduates make about $52,087. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Phoenix Arizona earned it the #2 place for operations management. Set in the city of Phoenix, University Of Phoenix Arizona is a very large private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,552. Typical student debt for operations management graduates is $26,855. Operations Management graduates of University Of Phoenix Arizona earn a median of $61,521 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Arizona one of the best values for operations management. Set in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,573, compared with $39,903 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,112 to complete the operations management program here. Operations Management graduates of University Of Arizona earn a median of $83,193 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,112 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.