2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k
37
Ranked Colleges
2,417
Degrees Awarded
$15,400
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 49,055 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. 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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,417 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,918 and $24,467 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 37 colleges that offered 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the economics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 273 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $580 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 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 Economics at University of Pennsylvania
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 110 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lafayette, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for Pennsylvania 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at Lafayette
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 60 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Swarthmore has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore College is $4,594 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Swarthmore Economics Report
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 31 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Haverford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Haverford College is $9,357 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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.
Full Haverford College Economics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 76 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $16,456 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Economics at Carnegie Mellon University
With a ranking of #6, Gettysburg College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 66 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Gettysburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $14,205 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gettysburg College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Gettysburg College Economics Report
Dickinson College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 55 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Dickinson has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $12,729 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dickinson College.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Full Dickinson Economics Report
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 53 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Franklin and Marshall has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall is $14,017 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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.
Full Franklin and Marshall College Economics Report
Lycoming College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 15 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Lycoming also took the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lycoming College is $13,045 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at Lycoming College
Muhlenberg College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Muhlenberg College is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Muhlenberg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Muhlenberg is $18,000 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 9 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Economics at Muhlenberg
With a ranking of #11, Bucknell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 135 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucknell, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell University is $22,722 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Bucknell Economics Report
With a ranking of #12, Saint Vincent College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saint Vincent, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Vincent is $15,105 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Saint Vincent College Economics Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 212 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $15,084 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Economics at Pitt
Villanova University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 147 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
Villanova did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $24,907 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Villanova.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Economics at Villanova University
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. SRU is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $14,091 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Economics at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Allegheny College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Allegheny College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Meadville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 31 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Allegheny not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Allegheny College is $17,681 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 full report on Economics at Allegheny College
With a ranking of #17, Temple University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 95 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Temple has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,173 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Temple University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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%.
Read full report on Economics at Temple
Washington & Jefferson College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington & Jefferson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, W&J has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington & Jefferson College is $20,962 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%. 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.
Read more about Economics at W&J
Ursinus College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ursinus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ursinus is $23,145 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Ursinus College Economics Report
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Bloomsburg is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $16,112 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Economics at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #21, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Millersville is a medium-sized school located in Millersville, Pennsylvania that handed out 18 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,224 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
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%.
Full Millersville Economics Report
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $12,212 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Economics at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Susquehanna University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
Susquehanna also took the #22 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $17,040 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Susquehanna University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 88%.
Read full report on Economics at Susquehanna
California University of Pennsylvania came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California University of Pennsylvania is $15,854 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Economics at California University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is $19,397 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Economics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus
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