MAJORS · 84 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a management science & quantitative methods degree worth it?
Part of Business and Management — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$601,631. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$601,631
across 109 bachelor’s programs · 10,824 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$583K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$290K ⟷ +$878K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
1%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
29
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$413K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$124K
Questions
- Is a management science & quantitative methods degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 109 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Management Science & Quantitative Methods is +$601,631 and the median is +$583,332. 1% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$290,261 and +$877,617.
- How long until a management science & quantitative methods degree pays off?
- Among Management Science & Quantitative Methods programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 29 (FREOPP 2021). 1% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a management science & quantitative methods major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Management Science & Quantitative Methods graduates span +$290,261 to +$877,617 — a +$587K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Management Science & Quantitative Methods: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/management-science-and-quantitative-methods