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2023 Best Value Colleges for Business Economics (Income $0-$30k)

185 Ranked Colleges
5,667 Degrees Awarded
$7,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Business Economics is the 130th most popular major in the country with 5,667 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 185 colleges that offer a degree in business economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great business economics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the business economics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The business economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Business Economics (Income $0-$30k)

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 185 schools in the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. It costs about $245 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Northwestern Business Economics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Business Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $1,556 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington University in St Louis Business Economics Report

3
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 23 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. It costs about $2,564 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at Harvard

4
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Out of the 185 schools in the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 210 degrees to qualified ’s business economics students in 2020-2021.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $8,303 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at University of Georgia

5
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 72 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $493 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baruch.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Business Economics at Baruch

6

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at Ohio State

7
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lehigh is a medium-sized school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 59 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Lehigh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh University is $15,561 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Business Economics at Lehigh University

8

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s business economics degrees to 706 students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Business Economics Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $6,540 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine Business Economics Report

9

University of Central Florida landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 68 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF excels when it comes to business economics quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $4,468 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full UCF Business Economics Report

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $4,176 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Business Economics Report

11

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our business economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Business Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,433 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

12
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #12, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 91 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,283 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at North Carolina State University

13

Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 52 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

BYU excels when it comes to business economics quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,445 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at BYU

14
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s business economics degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Kentucky University is $4,632 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Business Economics at NKU

15
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 19 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,367 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNF.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at University of North Florida

16

California State University - Long Beach ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 53 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full CSULB Business Economics Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 291 diplomas to qualified ’s business economics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Business Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,038 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Business Economics Report

18

With a ranking of #18, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $9,766 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at Iowa State

19

With a ranking of #19, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. OSU is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,609 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend OSU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Business Economics at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

20
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s business economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,949 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oakland University Business Economics Report

21

With a ranking of #21, Weber State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Weber State University is a large public school situated in Ogden, Utah. It awarded 70 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, WSU also did well on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Weber State University is $9,748 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full WSU Business Economics Report

22
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 52 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, University of Arizona also did well on our “Best Business Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,987 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Business Economics at University of Arizona

23

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 50 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL also took the #18 spot in our “Best Business Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $11,672 for Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNL Business Economics Report

24
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WVU is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 36 ’s business economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,014 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Full WVU Business Economics Report

25

University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s business economics degrees to qualified students.

UofSC also made our “Best Business Economics Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $12,130 for business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UofSC Business Economics Report

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Business Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
27
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
28

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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