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2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

115 Ranked Colleges
11,034 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 11,034 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,850 and $22,668 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 115 colleges that offer a degree in economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great economics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The 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 Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 417 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for middle atlantic region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Johns Hopkins Economics Report

2
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 273 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 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%. 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 Economics at UPenn

3
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Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 140 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Princeton also took the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $2,958 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Princeton.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Princeton Economics Report

4
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #4 spot on the list. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 265 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $3,077 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Georgetown Economics Report

5
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 237 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $5,244 for middle atlantic region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell University.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Economics at Cornell

6

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 458 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for middle atlantic region 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 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 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%.

Full Columbia Economics Report

7
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Easton, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 110 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Lafayette also took the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $11,728 for middle atlantic region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lafayette.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read more about Economics at Lafayette College

8

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 513 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $6,067 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Economics at UMCP

9
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Swarthmore College is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Swarthmore, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore is $4,594 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at Swarthmore

10
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Queens College is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 394 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,344 for middle atlantic region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend QC.

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%.

Full QC Economics Report

11
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Colgate is a small school located in Hamilton, New York that handed out 117 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $10,762 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 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 Economics at Colgate University

12
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, Haverford College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Haverford College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,357 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Haverford College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Haverford

13
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #13, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 96%.

Read more about Economics at Carnegie Mellon

14
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Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 123 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $396 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Hunter

15
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hamilton College is a small school located in Clinton, New York that handed out 75 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Hamilton also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Hamilton College is $8,810 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, 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%. 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 Economics at Hamilton College

16
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vassar, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $10,535 for middle atlantic region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vassar.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Vassar College Economics Report

17
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Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch is $493 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Baruch College

18

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 143 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend The City College of New York is $1,254 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full CCNY Economics Report

19

John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. John Jay is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 58 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $788 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

20
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Barnard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 79 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Barnard also took the #13 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barnard College is $20,177 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 93%. 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%.

Full Barnard Economics Report

21
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UD is a large school located in Newark, Delaware that handed out 173 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Delaware is $13,726 for middle atlantic region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Delaware Economics Report

22
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gettysburg College is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Gettysburg is $14,205 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Gettysburg College Economics Report

23
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York

Binghamton University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Vestal, New York, and it awarded 386 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Binghamton University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $13,380 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Binghamton University.

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 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Binghamton University

24
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 55 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,729 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dickinson College.

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%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Dickinson

25
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #25, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 404 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rutgers New Brunswick has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $14,935 for Middle Atlantic Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Economics Report

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