2026 Best Applied Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Applied Economics is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for applied economics students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Applied Economics in the Great Lakes Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the applied economics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Applied Economics
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor tops our 2026 ranking of the best applied economics schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Ann Arbor. The six-year graduation rate is 93%. About 64 applied economics degrees were awarded at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor in the most recent year. Graduates of the applied economics program make about $68,416 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,690.
Read more about the applied economics program at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
