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Key Infor­ma­tion:

  • Lehigh Uni­ver­si­ty and Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Urbana — Cham­paign offer top bach­e­lor’s in sup­ply chain man­age­ment.
  • Grad­u­ates with a degree in sup­ply chain man­age­ment can pur­sue diverse career paths in logis­tics, pro­cure­ment, oper­a­tions, and more.
  • Sup­ply chain pro­fes­sion­als are in high demand, with sig­nif­i­cant oppor­tu­ni­ties for career growth and com­pet­i­tive salaries.

If you’re look­ing into degrees in sup­ply chain man­age­ment, then it’s prob­a­bly because you have the tal­ent and pas­sion to take on one of the most dynam­ic and lucra­tive careers of the 21st cen­tu­ry. Sup­ply chain man­age­ment col­leges have sprung up in recent years to pre­pare logis­tics man­age­ment pro­fes­sion­als. Here are a few rea­sons for con­sid­er­ing a sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree:

  • You have strong orga­ni­za­tion skills.
  • You’re com­fort­able in lead­er­ship positions.
  • You can multitask.
  • You enjoy math and technology.
  • You have great com­mu­ni­ca­tion skills.

If the above list sounds a lot like you, then some degrees in sup­ply chain man­age­ment may pro­vide your best path for­ward. If you do want to go into sup­ply chain man­age­ment, then a sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree is a must. Most sup­ply chain man­agers have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Employ­ers look for can­di­dates with sup­ply chain man­age­ment degrees. That’s because sup­ply chain man­age­ment requires a wide array of skills. Sup­ply chain man­age­ment degrees come from the best sup­ply chain schools that teach those skills.

Methodology: Ranking the Best Supply Chain Management Programs

For the Bachelor’s Degree Cen­ter rank­ing of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment schools, edi­tors researched ful­ly accred­it­ed col­leges and uni­ver­si­ties rec­og­nized for qual­i­ty. Pro­grams are ranked accord­ing to tuition rate, stu­dent reviews, and salary poten­tial, using data from IPEDS and Niche. Many of these schools are AACSB-accred­it­ed. If you’re look­ing for the top sup­ply chain schools, look no further!

1. Lehigh University

Lehigh Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. The degree is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams avail­able, and it shows stu­dents how to han­dle the com­plex­i­ties and chal­lenges of over­see­ing a sup­ply chain. Stu­dents get a firm grasp on vital sup­ply chain knowl­edge. They learn how to lead teams effec­tive­ly. This pro­gram includes field study options for hands-on experience.

Lehigh Uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate school with a beau­ti­ful cam­pus. The school helps stu­dents take flight in their lives and careers. It imparts impor­tant skills for future suc­cess. This school has a low stu­dent-to-fac­ul­ty ratio. Stu­dents will ben­e­fit from a close-knit com­mu­ni­ty and per­son­al­ized learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties. Lehigh Uni­ver­si­ty empha­sizes rig­or­ous aca­d­e­mics and for­ward-think­ing innovation.

What We Like: 96% of Lehigh stu­dents have com­plet­ed an intern­ship or sim­i­lar hands-on learn­ing opportunity.

Degree: BS in Sup­ply Chain Management

Lehigh Uni­ver­si­ty

2. University of Illinois Urbana — Champaign

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Urbana-Cham­paign has one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree choic­es for today’s stu­dents. This BS in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment draws stu­dents who are orga­nized, aware, and detail-ori­ent­ed. The pro­gram helps stu­dents build onto those skills with things like lead­er­ship and com­mu­ni­ca­tion. Of course, the pro­gram also cov­ers tech­ni­cal and busi­ness knowl­edge. The cur­ricu­lum focus­es on real-world situations.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Urbana-Cham­paign is a land-grand uni­ver­si­ty that focus­es on cur­rent issues. It’s an inno­v­a­tive and for­ward-think­ing uni­ver­si­ty. It has high rank­ings across sev­er­al cat­e­gories. At this school, learn­ing does­n’t just hap­pen in the class­room. Stu­dents ben­e­fit from a hands-on approach. This school’s urban loca­tion also helps stu­dents make impor­tant career connections.

What We Like: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Urbana-Cham­paign has one of the nation’s top 20 sup­ply chain man­age­ment programs.

Degree: BS in Sup­ply Chain Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Urbana-Champaign

3. Texas A&M University

Texas A&M Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BBA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. The pro­gram teach­es stu­dents how to build bet­ter, more effi­cient, and more sus­tain­able busi­ness­es. Pro­fes­sors in this pro­gram have field and research expe­ri­ence, which is one rea­son why this pro­gram ranks among the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams. Stu­dents gain skills for a wide range of sup­ply chain careers. They pre­pare to thrive in an in-demand, high-salaried job.

Texas A&M Uni­ver­si­ty is a large and high­ly rec­og­nized uni­ver­si­ty where stu­dents can make impor­tant career con­nec­tions. This school sets an exam­ple in both knowl­edge and research. A&M val­ues and pro­motes entre­pre­neur­ial think­ing, so stu­dents learn how to find unique solu­tions and think out­side the box. Stu­dents devel­op high-qual­i­ty aca­d­e­m­ic and pro­fes­sion­al skills.

What We Like: Mon­ey’s Best Col­lege Report ranked Texas A&M #5 on its 2020 “Best Col­lege for Busi­ness Majors” list.

Degree: BBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

Texas A&M University

4. North Carolina State University

North Car­oli­na State Uni­ver­si­ty has a BSBA with a Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment con­cen­tra­tion. This pro­gram is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree options for those who want a well-round­ed approach to busi­ness knowl­edge. The pro­gram com­bines knowl­edge with hands-on expe­ri­ence. Stu­dents pre­pare to meet today’s sup­ply chain needs. They also learn core gen­er­al busi­ness skills, so they can thrive in a vari­ety of busi­ness settings.

North Car­oli­na State is a big, bold, pub­lic research uni­ver­si­ty. It excels in areas like busi­ness, engi­neer­ing, and math. Stu­dents learn through expe­ri­ence, both inside and out­side the class­room. The school uses the lat­est tech­nol­o­gy in learn­ing. It’s a good school for mak­ing con­nec­tions and devel­op­ing a net­work of like-mind­ed peers.

What We Like: Mon­ey ranks NC State as the #1 uni­ver­si­ty in North Car­oli­na for value.

Degree: BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

North Car­oli­na State University

5. University of Maryland — College Park

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mary­land’s BS in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment is based on real-world busi­ness needs. That’s one rea­son why this pro­gram is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree options. Fac­ul­ty mem­bers in this pro­gram have real indus­try expe­ri­ence. The pro­gram takes an entre­pre­neur­ial approach to busi­ness. It pro­motes effi­cien­cy and orga­ni­za­tion. Stu­dents also have the oppor­tu­ni­ty to dou­ble major in anoth­er busi­ness topic.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mary­land is Mary­land’s flag­ship uni­ver­si­ty. This school is a leader in impact­ful research. Stu­dents pur­sue new ideas and then turn those ideas into mean­ing­ful work. They take their achieve­ments to new lev­els. Stu­dents learn from fac­ul­ty mem­bers who have rel­e­vant field expe­ri­ence. As a result, stu­dents get in-depth prepa­ra­tion for their future careers.

What We Like: The Prince­ton Review ranks the Uni­ver­si­ty of Mary­land as the #3 pub­lic uni­ver­si­ty for under­grad­u­ate entrepreneurship.

Degree: BS in Sup­ply Chain Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Maryland

6. Rutgers University

The Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment pro­gram from Rut­gers Uni­ver­si­ty is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree choic­es in the North­east. The pro­gram rec­og­nizes that sup­ply chain man­age­ment is vital to the econ­o­my. It teach­es stu­dents how to become the kind of sup­ply chain man­agers that com­pa­nies can rely on. Stu­dents build prac­ti­cal skill sets and com­pre­hen­sive busi­ness knowl­edge. They gain the skills they need to work in all kinds of sup­ply chains.

Rut­gers Uni­ver­si­ty is one of the top uni­ver­si­ties in New Jer­sey. It’s also the old­est uni­ver­si­ty in the area. This school is a leader in research and pub­lic uni­ver­si­ty edu­ca­tion. It per­forms espe­cial­ly well in busi­ness. Rut­gers Uni­ver­si­ty pro­vides the kind of edu­ca­tion that serves New Jer­sey, bol­sters the state’s econ­o­my, and helps stu­dents thrive.

What We Like: Rut­gers Uni­ver­si­ty is the #1 uni­ver­si­ty in New Jer­sey, accord­ing to US News and World Report.

Degree: Sup­ply Chain Management

Rut­gers

7. Michigan State University

Michi­gan State Uni­ver­si­ty’s BA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams in the area. It’s a high­ly ranked pro­gram among US schools. The pro­gram cov­ers a broad rang of impor­tant sup­ply chain and busi­ness top­ics. It blends those busi­ness top­ics with skills like crit­i­cal think­ing and com­mu­ni­ca­tion. Stu­dents learn how to cre­ate bet­ter busi­ness­es and become more com­pet­i­tive in the job market.

Michi­gan State is a top research uni­ver­si­ty. This school helps stu­dents make the most of their cur­rent tal­ents while impart­ing essen­tial knowl­edge for their careers. Michi­gan State is one of the top-ranked schools in the US, thanks to its chal­leng­ing aca­d­e­mics and career train­ing. Thanks to its high-achiev­ing alum­ni net­work, stu­dents have lots of oppor­tu­ni­ties to make connections.

What We Like: Michi­gan State Uni­ver­si­ty has a 94% place­ment rate for recent graduates.

Degree: BA in Sup­ply Chain Management

Michi­gan State University

8. Pennsylvania State University

Penn State Uni­ver­si­ty’s BS in Sup­ply Chain and Infor­ma­tion Sys­tems helps stu­dents thrive in the busi­ness world. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree choic­es for those who want to learn about busi­ness and tech­nol­o­gy. Stu­dents learn how to build sup­ply chains with effi­cien­cy and val­ue. They learn how to design and man­age these sup­ply chains effec­tive­ly. The pro­gram cov­ers all aspects of the sup­ply chain, from raw mate­ri­als to order ful­fill­ment. Stu­dents in this pro­gram pre­pare for careers across mul­ti­ple industries.

Penn State Uni­ver­si­ty is a top pub­lic uni­ver­si­ty with a rep­u­ta­tion for strong aca­d­e­mics. This school also pro­vides top-tier career train­ing. Penn State focus­es on the most rel­e­vant and recent career knowl­edge, and it pro­vides qual­i­ty in every­thing that it does. Penn State is a school where peo­ple go when they want to make a difference.

What We Like: US News and World Report ranks Penn State’s busi­ness pro­grams among the top busi­ness pro­grams in the US. The Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment pro­gram is ranked #2 in the nation.

Degree: BS in Sup­ply Chain and Infor­ma­tion Systems

Penn State University

9. University of Arkansas

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Arkansas has one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams for peo­ple who want options and vari­ety. The Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment degree pro­gram comes with sev­en pos­si­ble minors to choose from. The pro­gram stud­ies the impor­tant inter­sec­tions of sup­ply chain top­ics and over­all busi­ness top­ics. Stu­dents get a strong foun­da­tion of knowl­edge and skills, plus spe­cial­ized train­ing to become com­pet­i­tive in the job mar­ket. Stu­dents learn the kinds of skills that will make them assets to their companies.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Arkansas is one of the top pub­lic research uni­ver­si­ties in the Unit­ed States. The school is ded­i­cat­ed to research that makes a dif­fer­ence in peo­ple’s lives. It also pro­vides great aca­d­e­mics and career train­ing. Arkansas pro­grams empha­size cre­ativ­i­ty and prob­lem-solv­ing. The school has a low stu­dent-to-fac­ul­ty ratio, so it offers oppor­tu­ni­ties for per­son­al­ized learning.

What We Like: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Arkansas is one of the top 3% of research uni­ver­si­ties in the Unit­ed States.

Degree: Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment — 7 minors

Uni­ver­si­ty of Arkansas

10. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Nebras­ka Lin­coln has a BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree choic­es in the region. Stu­dents in this pro­gram become skilled sup­ply chain man­age­ment spe­cial­ists. They learn about each aspect of the sup­ply chain. They also learn how to lead teams and keep things run­ning smooth­ly. Cours­es cov­er com­mon sup­ply chain issues and effec­tive solu­tions for those issues.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Nebras­ka Lin­coln empow­ers stu­dents to forge their own path­ways for the future. Stu­dents build essen­tial career skills, but they also get a strong aca­d­e­m­ic foun­da­tion for their knowl­edge. This school is high­ly ranked for its val­ue. It focus­es on help­ing stu­dents take their strengths to new heights. Stu­dents learn how to use their skills to give back to the community.

What We Like: The Prince­ton Review ranks the Uni­ver­si­ty of Nebras­ka Lin­coln as a Best Val­ue School.

Degree: BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Nebras­ka Lincoln

11. University of Houston-Downtown

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Hous­ton-Down­town offers a BBA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams, since it helps stu­dents build com­plex and reward­ing skills. Stu­dents learn key busi­ness skills and how to make the most of them. They build sup­ply chain knowl­edge and abil­i­ties while sharp­en­ing their cur­rent talents.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Hous­ton is a high­ly inno­v­a­tive and dynam­ic school. It per­forms well in many areas, includ­ing busi­ness and relat­ed fields. This school is com­mit­ted to help­ing stu­dents find suc­cess. The stu­dents at this school are deeply engaged. The school has won awards for fac­ul­ty, research, and sev­er­al oth­er things.

What We Like: US News and World Report has ranked the Uni­ver­si­ty of Hous­ton among the best col­leges for 2021.

Degree: BBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Houston-Downtown

12. University of Alabama in Huntsville

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Alaba­ma in Huntsville has one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams for today’s stu­dents. It’s a BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Mar­ket­ing. This pro­gram is a chal­leng­ing and mul­ti­fac­eted pro­gram that includes the lib­er­al arts and sci­ences, core busi­ness skills, and spe­cif­ic sup­ply chain knowl­edge. Stu­dents learn how to man­age sup­ply chains effec­tive­ly. They gain a broad range of skills for career success.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Alaba­ma in Huntsville is a chal­leng­ing research uni­ver­si­ty. It’s known for its inno­va­tion and use of tech­nol­o­gy. This school offers a high ROI, mak­ing sure that stu­dents get a lot in return for their tuition dol­lars. Stu­dents learn a range of skills that trans­fer to their career fields. The Uni­ver­si­ty of Alaba­ma in Huntsville has rel­a­tive­ly small class sizes com­pared to sim­i­lar universities.

What We Like: UAH is ranked #1 in return on invest­ment among Alaba­ma schools.

Degree: BSBA Sup­ply Chain Marketing

Uni­ver­si­ty of Alaba­ma in Huntsville

13. Colorado State University

Col­orado State Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BSBA with a con­cen­tra­tion in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. Stu­dents in this pro­gram devel­op the skills, expe­ri­ence and con­nec­tions nec­es­sary to excel as sup­ply chain pro­fes­sion­als. Learn­ing from lead­ing sup­ply chain fac­ul­ty, stu­dents gain crit­i­cal insights into the indus­try through inno­v­a­tive cur­ricu­lum and hands-on learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties while devel­op­ing a well-round­ed under­stand­ing of the busi­ness world, enabling them to suc­ceed across a vari­ety of pro­fes­sion­al roles.

CSU’s Col­lege of Busi­ness also has a ded­i­cat­ed Career Man­age­ment Cen­ter com­mit­ted to help­ing stu­dents pre­pare for ful­fill­ing careers where they can com­bine their skills and pas­sions to use busi­ness for a bet­ter world. Sup­ply chain fac­ul­ty draw on years of expe­ri­ence and cut­ting-edge research in fields like logis­tics and trans­porta­tion, sup­ply man­age­ment, sus­tain­abil­i­ty and inno­va­tion. The College’s sup­port­ive com­mu­ni­ty is also full of resources to help stu­dents suc­ceed, like first-gen peer men­tor­ing, pro­fes­sion­al net­work­ing events, career explo­ration sem­i­nars, hands-on entre­pre­neur­ship work­shops and more. 

What We Like: More than 70% of sup­ply chain man­age­ment stu­dents com­plete an intern­ship before earn­ing their degree and 9 out of 10 find a job or edu­ca­tion­al place­ment with­in 180 days of grad­u­a­tion, with an aver­age start­ing salary of $54,600.

Degree: BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

Col­orado State University

14. Syracuse University

Syra­cuse Uni­ver­si­ty’s Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment degree is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams. It includes a deep study of all sup­ply chain aspects. Stu­dents get to know how dif­fer­ent parts of the sup­ply chain work. They learn how to man­age each of those parts to max­i­mize effec­tive­ness. Stu­dents learn how to think out­side the box.

Syra­cuse Uni­ver­si­ty stays at the fore­front of new knowl­edge and research break­throughs. It does­n’t just react to changes but active­ly cre­ates many of them. Syra­cuse stu­dents find suc­cess in their career fields. The school has good job place­ment out­comes. Stu­dents at Syra­cuse can cus­tomize their learn­ing expe­ri­ences to get the most out of their educations.

What We Like: 90% of Syra­cuse alum­ni who enter the work­force are work­ing in posi­tions relat­ed to their field of study.

Degree: Sup­ply Chain Management

Syra­cuse University

15. University of Tennessee — Knoxville

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Ten­nessee Knoxville offers one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams in the South­east. It’s a BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. The in-depth cur­ricu­lum explores all aspects of over­see­ing a sup­ply chain. Stu­dents increase their knowl­edge, con­fi­dence, and lead­er­ship abil­i­ties. The pro­gram includes net­work­ing and hands-on learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties, and it comes from UTK’s well respect­ed school of business.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Ten­nessee Knoxville is the flag­ship uni­ver­si­ty of the UT sys­tem. It’s an ener­getic learn­ing com­mu­ni­ty where stu­dents max­i­mize their skills and use those skills to serve oth­ers. Stu­dents ben­e­fit from chal­leng­ing aca­d­e­mics and rel­e­vant career train­ing. They also get plen­ty of oppor­tu­ni­ties for net­work­ing and mak­ing career connections.

What We Like: 92% of first-year stu­dents at UTK receive finan­cial aid and/or scholarships.

Degree: BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Ten­nessee Knoxville

16. Drexel University

Drex­el Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BSBA in Oper­a­tions and Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. It cov­ers the behind-the-scenes aspects of busi­ness, and it’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree options avail­able today. Stu­dents learn orga­ni­za­tion­al and man­age­ment skills. They also learn oth­er busi­ness skills like mar­ket­ing, legal knowl­edge, and oth­er essen­tials. The cours­es cov­er what it takes to com­mu­ni­cate effec­tive­ly with team members.

Drex­el Uni­ver­si­ty is a high-val­ue urban uni­ver­si­ty where stu­dents make con­nec­tions. It’s a thriv­ing cam­pus in a thriv­ing city. This school empha­sizes engage­ment, career build­ing, and aca­d­e­m­ic suc­cess. Drex­el Uni­ver­si­ty part­ners with local employ­ers to give stu­dents a hands-on expe­ri­ence. Most of these oppor­tu­ni­ties are paid, and they help stu­dents kick off their careers with pro­fes­sion­al resume cred­its right out of the gate.

What We Like: 94% of Drex­el grad­u­ates are work­ing or obtain­ing fur­ther edu­ca­tion. 63% of job appli­cants had at least one job offer by graduation.

Degree: BSBA in Oper­a­tions and Sup­ply Chain Management

Drex­el University

17. Ferris State University

Fer­ris State Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Oper­a­tions and Sup­ply Man­age­ment. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams avail­able. In this pro­gram, stu­dents learn about the peo­ple, sys­tems, skills, and mate­ri­als that make up a sup­ply chain. Stu­dents also learn how prod­ucts are cre­at­ed, mar­ket­ed, and sold. Cours­es are based on real-life sce­nar­ios. Stu­dents learn how to use crit­i­cal think­ing and prob­lem-solv­ing skills in a busi­ness context.

Fer­ris State Uni­ver­si­ty is a mid-sized uni­ver­si­ty focused on qual­i­ty, ethics, and for­ward move­ment. It pro­vides an edu­ca­tion that lets stu­dents make the most of learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties. Fer­ris State is all about career-focused edu­ca­tion. Its train­ing is based on cur­rent indus­try land­scapes, so stu­dents know that they’re get­ting a rel­e­vant edu­ca­tion. The school’s small class sizes allow for mean­ing­ful connections.

What We Like: Most Fer­ris State class­es have few­er than 20 students.

Degree: BS in Oper­a­tions and Sup­ply Management

Fer­ris State University

18. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Wis­con­sin Mil­wau­kee has a BBA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. This pro­gram is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree options. It cov­ers all aspects of the sup­ply chain from start to fin­ish. Stu­dents learn how to use resources and tech­nol­o­gy effec­tive­ly. They learn how sup­ply chain man­age­ment works in all kinds of indus­tries, not just man­u­fac­tur­ing. This pro­gram also empha­sizes the IT aspects of man­ag­ing a sup­ply chain.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Wis­con­sin Mil­wau­kee focus­es on build­ing careers and pro­vid­ing hands-on expe­ri­ences. This approach helps stu­dents build their con­fi­dence. The school is one of the top research uni­ver­si­ties in the Unit­ed States, so it uses a lot of the lat­est tech­nol­o­gy in learn­ing. Stu­dents here are empow­ered to forge their own path­ways forward.

What We Like: The aver­age start­ing salary of UW Wis­con­sin alum­ni is $50,200.

Degree: BBA in Sup­ply Chain and Oper­a­tions Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Wis­con­sin Milwaukee

19. University of Rhode Island

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Rhode Island has a BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. The pro­gram is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams. It rec­og­nizes that sup­ply chain man­age­ment is one of the most impor­tant fields in busi­ness and eco­nom­ics. Stu­dents get train­ing to meet the most press­ing busi­ness needs. They learn all about busi­ness, logis­tics, strate­gic plan­ning, and lead­er­ship. By the end of the pro­gram, stu­dents earn pro­fes­sion­al certification.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Rhode Island is all about inno­va­tion and seek­ing solu­tions. This school is made up of an active com­mu­ni­ty of learn­ers. Stu­dents pur­sue answers to big ques­tions, and they get rel­e­vant career train­ing. Stu­dents also learn how to max­i­mize their skills to become com­pet­i­tive in the job search. The Uni­ver­si­ty of Rhode Island has a long his­to­ry of ser­vice and mov­ing forward.

What We Like: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Rhode Island has one of the top sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams in the Unit­ed States. It’s well-rec­og­nized in the indus­try, so it can have a pos­i­tive impact on employment.

Degree: BSBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Rhode Island

20. University of Scranton

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Scran­ton offers a BS in Oper­a­tions Man­age­ment, which focus­es on impor­tant busi­ness oper­a­tions, includ­ing sup­ply chain man­age­ment. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree pro­grams. Stu­dents learn how to make sup­ply chains as effi­cient and effec­tive as pos­si­ble. The pro­gram is one of the fastest-grow­ing majors at the school. It pre­pares stu­dents to become high earners.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Scran­ton is a Jesuit Catholic uni­ver­si­ty. It’s com­mit­ted to ser­vice, excel­lent aca­d­e­mics, and mak­ing a dif­fer­ence for stu­dents and the com­mu­ni­ty. This school pro­vides a rel­e­vant and prac­ti­cal edu­ca­tion that helps stu­dents meet their goals. It also helps stu­dents to deep­en their faith and explore big ques­tions. Scran­ton offers per­son­al atten­tion and a close-knit community.

What We Like: The Econ­o­mist has ranked Scran­ton in the top 2% of col­leges for impact on stu­dent earn­ings. The school is known for pro­vid­ing a great ROI for its tution costs.

Degree: BS in Oper­a­tions Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of Scranton

21. University of South Dakota

The Uni­ver­si­ty of South Dako­ta offers a BBA in Oper­a­tions and Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. This pro­gram is one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams for those who want an in-depth look at the busi­ness world. Stu­dents learn how to keep things orga­nized while man­ag­ing peo­ple, busi­ness­es, and sup­pli­ers. Cours­es teach stu­dents how to han­dle com­plex sys­tems and issues. They also teach stu­dents how to ana­lyze, design, and improve sup­ply chains while keep­ing things effi­cient and cost-effective.

At the Uni­ver­si­ty of South Dako­ta, stu­dents become lead­ers and thinkers who make a dif­fer­ence in their careers. The school focus­es on over­com­ing hur­dles. It has the largest cam­pus in the state. For that mat­ter, this school was found­ed before North Dako­ta even became a state. This school is a leader across sev­er­al areas, and it helps stu­dents devel­op their own lead­er­ship skills, too.

What We Like: UND is ranked as one of the top uni­ver­si­ties in the US for value.

Degree: BBA in Oper­a­tions and Sup­ply Chain Management

Uni­ver­si­ty of South Dakota

22. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BBA in Logis­tics and Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree options that offers a com­pre­hen­sive approach. Stu­dents learn how dif­fer­ent aspects of the sup­ply chain work. They also learn how to make the best pur­chas­ing, pro­duc­tion, and deliv­ery deci­sions. They learn how to com­mu­ni­cate with team mem­bers across dif­fer­ent depart­ments. Stu­dents get the oppor­tu­ni­ty to learn in a major met­ro­pol­i­tan busi­ness area.

Elmhurst Uni­ver­si­ty is a small school in a big city, so it offers a com­bi­na­tion of ben­e­fits. The school com­bines lib­er­al arts edu­ca­tion with career-based train­ing. The school is grow­ing, which is why it recent­ly changed its name from Elmhurst Col­lege to Elmhurst Uni­ver­si­ty. This school has a long his­to­ry of strong aca­d­e­mics. It has earned high rank­ings in many cat­e­gories, so stu­dents can rest assured that they’re get­ting a lot of qual­i­ty in their education.

What We Like: Accord­ing to US News and World Report, Elmhurst is one of the best region­al uni­ver­si­ties in the Midwest.

Degree: BBA in Logis­tics and Sup­ply Chain Management

Elmhurst Uni­ver­si­ty

23. Northeastern State University

North­east­ern State Uni­ver­si­ty has a BBA in Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams in its region. It pro­vides the knowl­edge and flex­i­bil­i­ty that stu­dents need to thrive in a quick­ly-chang­ing field. Stu­dents learn how to jug­gle sev­er­al respon­si­bil­i­ties as effec­tive­ly as pos­si­ble. They study hard skills and soft skills to make the most of their careers. Stu­dents also have options to get a ful­ly-round­ed busi­ness education.

At North­east­ern State Uni­ver­si­ty, stu­dents live up to high expec­ta­tions and learn how to reach beyond their per­ceived lim­its. The school was found­ed on the prin­ci­ples of qual­i­ty teach­ing and excel­lent aca­d­e­mics. North­east­ern State helps stu­dents real­ize their full poten­tial. Stu­dents then take that poten­tial into their careers and lives after col­lege. This school is a ser­vice-ori­ent­ed uni­ver­si­ty that focus­es on bet­ter­ing the community.

What We Like: North­east­ern State Uni­ver­si­ty is a mil­i­tary-friend­ly university.

Degree: BBA in Sup­ply Chain Management

North­east­ern State University

24. Wright State University

Wright State Uni­ver­si­ty has one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment degree options. This pro­gram helps stu­dents pre­pare for busi­ness suc­cess. Stu­dents learn the skills and knowl­edge they need to over­see all aspects of the sup­ply chain. They pre­pare for a wide range of career pos­si­bil­i­ties. The pro­gram focus­es on expe­ri­ence-based learn­ing, which helps stu­dents gain con­fi­dence in their skills.

Wright State Uni­ver­si­ty is named for the Wright broth­ers, so this school knows the impor­tance of hav­ing big dreams. It also pro­vides all the resources and sup­port that stu­dents need to reach those dreams, what­ev­er they may be. It’s an afford­able uni­ver­si­ty with a low stu­dent to fac­ul­ty ratio, so stu­dents can make the most of their learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties. The school offers great aca­d­e­mics with hands-on career train­ing. As a result, stu­dents can reach their goals and make the most of their careers.

What We Like: Wright State has earned high rank­ings for both pro­gram excel­lence and affordability.

Degree: BSB in Sup­ply Chain Management

Wright State University

25. Rider University

Rid­er Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Glob­al Sup­ply Chain Man­age­ment. It’s one of the best sup­ply chain man­age­ment pro­grams for those who want to focus on a glob­al scale. This pro­gram takes an inter­dis­ci­pli­nary approach. Stu­dents learn a broad under­stand­ing of busi­ness and com­merce. They learn how sup­ply chain man­age­ment works on a large scale, and they gain far-reach­ing lead­er­ship and orga­ni­za­tion skills.

Rid­er Uni­ver­si­ty helps stu­dents explore their pas­sions and deep­en their knowl­edge. It also helps stu­dents define and achieve their goals. It offers lots of resources and a high­ly sup­port­ive aca­d­e­m­ic envi­ron­ment. Stu­dents learn how they an make a pos­i­tive impact in their com­mu­ni­ties. Many of Rid­er Uni­ver­si­ty’s cours­es include hands-on learn­ing expe­ri­ences. This way, stu­dents can gain con­fi­dence in their skills before mov­ing into the career field.

What We Like: Rid­er Uni­ver­si­ty is one of the top Best Val­ue schools, accord­ing to US News and World Report.

Degree: BS in Glob­al Sup­ply Chain Management

Rid­er University

Why is Supply Chain Management Important?

What is the val­ue of sup­ply chain man­age­ment? To under­stand why sup­ply chain man­age­ment is so impor­tant, you’ll first need to under­stand what sup­ply chain man­age­ment is. So, what is sup­ply chain man­age­ment? And for that mat­ter, what is glob­al sup­ply chain management?

A sup­ply chain is how goods go from raw mate­ri­als to ful­ly usable prod­ucts. Sup­ply chains have dif­fer­ent stages and depart­ments. The man­u­fac­tur­ing team makes up one part of the sup­ply chain, the ship­ping depart­ment makes up anoth­er, and the sales depart­ment, which gets the prod­uct into the hands of con­sumers, also takes a role.

Sup­ply chain man­age­ment is a spe­cial­ty of busi­ness admin­is­tra­tion. Sup­ply chain man­age­ment respon­si­bil­i­ties include over­see­ing that that entire process from start to fin­ish. They keep an eye on inven­to­ry, cor­rect any dis­crep­an­cies, and make sure that every­thing runs smooth­ly. Logis­tics pro­grams teach pro­fes­sion­als to do these tasks.

Now you’ve seen the answer to the “what is sup­ply chain man­age­ment” ques­tion, so what is glob­al sup­ply chain man­age­ment? It’s sup­ply chain man­age­ment for multi­na­tion­al com­pa­nies. In this case, sup­ply chain man­age­ment respon­si­bil­i­ties occur on a larg­er scale. Prod­ucts may be shipped to con­sumers around the world. Plus, mate­ri­als and per­son­nel can also come from around the world. There­fore, the oper­a­tions and sup­ply chain man­age­ment job descrip­tion can get a lot big­ger for these companies.

So, what is the val­ue of sup­ply chain man­age­ment? Sup­ply chain man­age­ment is impor­tant because it cov­ers so many vital tasks that help busi­ness­es run smooth­ly. Busi­ness­es couldn’t run as effec­tive­ly with­out oper­a­tions and sup­ply chain man­age­ment. Job descrip­tion require­ments include cre­at­ing spe­cif­ic goals for the sup­ply chain and dif­fer­ent pieces of the sup­ply chain. Sup­ply chain man­age­ment job require­ments also include com­mu­ni­cat­ing those goals to each divi­sion, help­ing team mem­bers under­stand their role in achiev­ing those goals.

Sup­ply chain man­agers must also spot and address poten­tial prob­lems and inef­fi­cien­cies. They work with var­i­ous depart­ments to min­i­mize costs to the com­pa­ny. Sup­ply chain man­age­ment job require­ments also include

  • inven­to­ry management
  • sourc­ing
  • pro­cure­ment

All of these tasks come from hav­ing a “big pic­ture” view of the sup­ply chain, which is a view that only sup­ply chain man­age­ment can pro­vide. The best schools for sup­ply chain man­age­ment pre­pare you for all of it.

What Does a Supply Chain Manager Do?

Sup­ply chain man­agers (also called logis­ti­cian or dis­tri­b­u­tion man­ag­er) play an impor­tant role for busi­ness­es that sell goods. They over­see the entire sup­ply chain, from orig­i­nal mate­ri­als to the final prod­uct and dis­tri­b­u­tion. Sup­ply chain man­agers keep this process organized.

When peo­ple ask “What is a sup­ply chain man­ag­er?” what they’re real­ly ask­ing is “What does a sup­ply chain man­ag­er do?” They want a sup­ply chain man­ag­er def­i­n­i­tion that includes a prac­ti­cal sup­ply chain man­ag­er job descrip­tion and salary information.

It’s an under­stand­able ques­tion. If you google “What is a sup­ply chain man­ag­er?” you’ll get a lot of broad def­i­n­i­tions about the sup­ply chain man­ag­er role. And that’s fine if you want a very gen­er­al sup­ply chain man­ag­er def­i­n­i­tion. But if you’re think­ing about tak­ing on the sup­ply chain man­ag­er role your­self some­day, then you’ll want to know what the sup­ply chain man­ag­er job descrip­tion looks like on an aver­age day. What are some sup­ply chain man­ag­er job respon­si­bil­i­ties? What’s includ­ed in reg­u­lar sup­ply chain man­ag­er tasks? What does a sup­ply chain man­ag­er do?

On an aver­age day, the sup­ply chain man­ag­er descrip­tion includes a lot of super­vi­sion, del­e­ga­tion, and check­ing in with dif­fer­ent depart­ments. For exam­ple, the roles of a sup­ply chain man­ag­er can include check­ing in with a company’s dif­fer­ent ware­hous­es. One sup­ply chain man­ag­er respon­si­bil­i­ty is to receive updates from the dif­fer­ent ware­hous­es about inven­to­ry, staff, and oth­er things. If changes need to be made, the sup­ply chain man­ag­er descrip­tion includes han­dling or del­e­gat­ing these changes.

Oth­er roles of a sup­ply chain man­ag­er include check­ing in with team mem­bers. Sup­ply chain team mem­bers can over­see dif­fer­ent parts of the sup­ply chain. One of the key sup­ply chain man­ag­er tasks is to hear updates from these team mem­bers and make changes as necessary.

Anoth­er sup­ply chain man­ag­er respon­si­bil­i­ty may involve work­ing with project man­agers to increase sup­ply chain effi­cien­cy. As you can imag­ine, sup­ply chain man­ag­er job respon­si­bil­i­ties also vary based on the size, scope, and type of company. 

In a sup­ply chain man­age­ment major, you’ll take on-cam­pus or online cours­es to learn to apply these skills to indus­tries from health­care to ware­hous­ing. Elec­tive cours­es will round out your cred­it hours. Most pro­grams will require a cap­stone where stu­dents choose a real-world project to study. Sup­ply chain man­age­ment is usu­al­ly a bach­e­lor of sci­ence degree and typ­i­cal­ly take four years. The Bureau of Labor Sta­tis­tics shows that grad­u­ates often enter their career paths right away.

Now, what about the sup­ply chain man­ag­er job descrip­tion and salary? You’ll find more salary infor­ma­tion in the next section.

How Much Does a Supply Chain Manager Make?

Now, what is the aver­age sup­ply chain manager’s salary? While sup­ply chain man­age­ment salaries can vary, the full-time aver­age sup­ply chain man­age­ment salary is $111,485 per year.

For the low­er earn­ers, a sup­ply chain man­age­ment salary can be $85,683. It’s impor­tant to note, how­ev­er, that even though this num­ber is on the low end for a sup­ply chain man­ag­er salary, it’s still high­er than the over­all aver­age salary in the Unit­ed States. Sup­ply chain man­agers, in gen­er­al, are com­pen­sat­ed well for their work. Mean­while, on the upper end of the scale, the top sup­ply chain man­ag­er salaries can reach near­ly $145,000.

And then there’s the aver­age glob­al sup­ply chain manager’s salary, which is about $116,000 per year. These sup­ply chain man­age­ment salaries are so high because glob­al sup­ply chain man­age­ment comes with extra chal­lenges and responsibilities.

Of course, when it comes to sup­ply chain man­age­ment, aver­age salary num­bers don’t tell the whole sto­ry. A lot of fac­tors can impact a sup­ply chain man­age­ment salary.

For exam­ple, edu­ca­tion can make a dif­fer­ence. You may start your career with an associate’s from com­mu­ni­ty col­lege, but high­er edu­ca­tion can make a big dif­fer­ence. A sup­ply chain man­ag­er salary can often be high­er for those who have a mas­ter of sci­ence instead of a bachelor’s degree alone. There are MBA pro­grams ded­i­cat­ed to logis­tics today. The top under­grad­u­ate sup­ply chain man­age­ment schools pre­pare you for a master’s degree too.

Expe­ri­ence can also make a dif­fer­ence in a sup­ply chain man­age­ment aver­age salary. The sup­ply chain man­age­ment entry-lev­el salary may be low­er, for exam­ple, than the sup­ply chain man­ag­er aver­age salary. That said, there’s almost no such thing as a sup­ply chain man­age­ment entry-lev­el salary any­way, since most of these posi­tions require years of expe­ri­ence in the field.

The size and type of com­pa­ny can also impact sup­ply chain man­ag­er salaries. Big­ger com­pa­nies can usu­al­ly afford to pay big­ger salaries, which is anoth­er rea­son why the glob­al sup­ply chain man­ag­er aver­age salary is high­er than the salary for non-glob­al positions.

The best col­leges for sup­ply chain man­age­ment pre­pare stu­dents for great­ness. Sup­ply chain man­age­ment rank­ings are the place to start find­ing the top under­grad­u­ate sup­ply chain pro­grams. Learn more about enroll­ment at one of our top picks!

Relat­ed Rankings:

15 Best Online Bach­e­lor’s in Sup­ply Chain Management

10 Fastest Online Bach­e­lor’s in Sup­ply Chain Management

10 Most Afford­able Bach­e­lor’s in Sup­ply Chain Management

15 Best Engi­neer­ing Man­age­ment Bach­e­lor Degree Online