by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Applied Economics is the 534th most popular major in the country with 618 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 240 applied economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in applied economics. That schools that top this list have a program in applied economics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree applied economics students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Auburn University at Montgomery. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. Auburn University at Montgomery is a medium-sized school located in Montgomery, Alabama that handed out 9 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Auburn University at Montgomery Applied Economics Report
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Applied Economics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Buffalo State. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major. Buffalo State is a medium-sized public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 8 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marquette University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s applied economics students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 88%.
Read full report on Applied Economics at Marquette University
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s applied economics degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Applied Economics at Georgetown University
With a ranking of #6, Mills College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. Oakland, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s applied economics degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Southern Methodist University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 10 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 90%.
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 32 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Applied Economics Report
Florida State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 24 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Massachusetts - Boston landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Houston landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 masters’s applied economics degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Saint Cloud State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 3 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Applied Economics at Saint Cloud State University
Eastern Michigan University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 4 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s applied economics students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 7 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Applied Economics Report
With a ranking of #16, Utah State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. Utah State University is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 3 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
With a ranking of #17, University of Rhode Island did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. Kingston, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied economics degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. 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 full report on Applied Economics at University of Rhode Island
Oregon State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. This large school is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and it awarded 3 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Georgia Southern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Statesboro, Georgia, and it awarded 2 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 2 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 87%.
Read full report on Applied Economics at University at Buffalo
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking, coming in at #21. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied economics degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Applied Economics at University of California - Santa Cruz
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 0 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified masters’s applied economics students in 2020-2021.
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 3.6% 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%.
Read more about Applied Economics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Saint Louis University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified masters’s applied economics students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Montana State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. MSU Bozeman is located in Bozeman, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 masters’s applied economics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking, coming in at #21. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied economics degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Applied Economics Report
With a ranking of #21, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s applied economics students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Western Michigan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 0 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #21, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 masters’s applied economics degrees to qualified students.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Applied Economics at University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #21, Western Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Economics Major list. WKU is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It awarded 0 masters’s applied economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Applied Economics at Western Kentucky University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
