2027 Best Value General Economics Schools in Texas
[General Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/economics-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general economics education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general economics students.
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2027 Best Value General Economics Schools in Texas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general economics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Economics Schools
For return on investment in general economics, no school beat Rice University this year. Set in the city of Houston, Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,247. General Economics graduates carry a median of $11,289 in student loans. General Economics graduates of Rice University earn a median of $78,814 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.
The University Of Texas Pan American is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general economics, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,799 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $19,645. General Economics graduates carry a median of $14,694 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general economics degree recipients from The University Of Texas Pan American generally make around $46,404. That is a strong return on a $14,694 median debt. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
Austin Community College District came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value general economics schools. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,550, with out-of-state students paying around $10,590. General Economics graduates carry a median of $14,519 in student loans. Early-career general economics graduates make about $44,895. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Blinn College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value general economics schools. Set in the town of Brenham, Blinn College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,890, while out-of-state students pay about $11,370. Students borrow a median of $16,465 to complete the general economics program here. Soon after graduation, general economics degree recipients from Blinn College generally make around $43,408. Set against $16,465 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Houston is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general economics, landing the #5 spot this year. University Of Houston is a very large public school located in the city of Houston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,717, while out-of-state students pay about $22,547. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the general economics program here. Early-career general economics graduates make about $50,820. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Texas ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general economics schools. Set in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,309 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,149. Typical student debt for general economics graduates is $23,619. Soon after graduation, general economics degree recipients from University Of North Texas generally make around $51,316. That is a strong return on a $23,619 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The University Of Texas At Dallas ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value general economics schools. The University Of Texas At Dallas is a very large public school located in the city of Richardson. In-state tuition and fees average $14,644, with out-of-state students paying around $40,144. Typical student debt for general economics graduates is $20,748. Soon after graduation, general economics degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Dallas generally make around $47,034. That is a strong return on a $20,748 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Texas State University San Marcos landed the #8 spot for general economics value this year. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, while out-of-state students pay about $22,930. General Economics graduates carry a median of $22,717 in student loans. General Economics graduates of Texas State University San Marcos earn a median of $43,064 early in their careers. Set against $22,717 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Texas State University San Marcos admits about 89% of applicants.
Texas Tech University came in at #9 for value in general economics this year. Texas Tech University is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,852, compared with $24,157 for out-of-state students. General Economics graduates carry a median of $27,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general economics degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $44,292. Set against $27,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Austin ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value general economics schools. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general economics graduates is $21,125. General Economics graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $68,794 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,125 median debt. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
Hardin Simmons University ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value general economics schools. Set in the city of Abilene, Hardin Simmons University is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,960. Typical student debt for general economics graduates is $26,674. General Economics graduates of Hardin Simmons University earn a median of $50,478 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Hardin Simmons University admits about 90% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station came in at #12 for value in general economics this year. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, while out-of-state students pay about $40,124. General Economics graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Early-career general economics graduates make about $64,294. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
Trinity University earned the #13 position for value in general economics this year. Trinity University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio. Students from in state pay about $53,676 in tuition and fees. General Economics graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general economics degree recipients from Trinity University generally make around $57,482. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 26% of applicants are accepted.
Southwestern University ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best value general economics schools. Southwestern University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Georgetown. Students from in state pay about $53,613 in tuition and fees. General Economics graduates carry a median of $24,975 in student loans. Early-career general economics graduates make about $36,990. That is a strong return on a $24,975 median debt. Southwestern University admits about 43% of applicants.
Texas Christian University placed #15 among the best values for general economics. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $61,740 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the general economics program here. General Economics graduates of Texas Christian University earn a median of $54,462 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 44% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Methodist University came in at #16 for value in general economics this year. Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,040. General Economics graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general economics degree recipients from Southern Methodist University generally make around $71,630. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 ranked schools only.
- 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.
