2023 Best Value Colleges for General Economics (Income $0-$30k)
427
Ranked Colleges
28,837
Degrees Awarded
$5,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 28,837 people earned their degree in general economics, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 427 colleges that offered a degree in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general economics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general economics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank General Economics Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Economics (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 25 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Pennsylvania General Economics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 89 students in 2020-2021.
Rice also made our “Best General Economics Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Rice University is $4,443 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about General Economics at Rice University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 21 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,176 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about General Economics at Vanderbilt
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,084 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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%.
Full Johns Hopkins University General Economics Report
Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 646 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best General Economics Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $2,670 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.
Full U-M General Economics Report
With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 362 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UNC Chapel Hill General Economics Report
Georgetown University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 158 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,077 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgetown University.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about General Economics at Georgetown
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 624 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $3,981 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 General Economics at University of Wisconsin - Madison
With a ranking of #9, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 4 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.
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%. 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.
Read more about General Economics at Washington University in St Louis
University of Florida ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 330 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $65 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about General Economics at University of Florida
Boston College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston College has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,212 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Economics at Boston College
Washington and Lee University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.
Washington and Lee excels when it comes to general economics quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $205 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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 General Economics at Washington and Lee University
Cornell University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 24 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $5,244 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Cornell General Economics Report
With a ranking of #14, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 36 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $9,873 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Economics at Columbia
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 352 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best General Economics Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $4,858 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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%. 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 General Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Wake Forest University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 106 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Wake Forest University is in the top on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $10,401 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Economics at Wake Forest University
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 528 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Economics at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Lafayette College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lafayette College is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 93 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Lafayette also made our “Best General Economics Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.3%, 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 87%.
Full Lafayette General Economics Report
With a ranking of #19, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 154 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $7,698 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Economics at UMN Twin Cities
William & Mary ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 127 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
William & Mary excels when it comes to general economics quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $5,972 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read more about General Economics at William & Mary
Swarthmore College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Swarthmore College is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 60 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Swarthmore is in the top on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $4,594 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Swarthmore General Economics Report
Michigan State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 277 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Michigan State is also in the top of our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $6,927 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Economics at Michigan State University
With a ranking of #23, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 389 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for QC is $1,344 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Economics at QC
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 99 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 UMCP General Economics Report
Colgate University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Colgate University is a small school located in Hamilton, New York that handed out 27 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $10,762 for General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colgate University.
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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Read full report on General Economics at Colgate University
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