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2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

30 Ranked Colleges
3,354 Degrees Awarded
$12,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.

Across Massachusetts, there were 3,354 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,242 and $22,416 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

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 Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #1 spot on the list. Williams is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 135 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $2,498 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Williams College Economics Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 348 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,973 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard Economics Report

#3

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Amherst College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 74 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Amherst has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Amherst College is $6,079 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Amherst College

#4

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tufts University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 197 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also took the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $5,267 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Economics at Tufts

#5

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wellesley College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $8,785 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wellesley.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Wellesley College

#6

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 372 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $6,353 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Boston College

#7

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 200 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern also took the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern is $10,239 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Economics at Northeastern University

#8

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 46 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Smith has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Smith College is $6,075 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Economics at Smith

#9

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 112 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Holy Cross is $15,036 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at College of the Holy Cross

#10

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 477 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Boston U also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $12,903 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The 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 low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 more about Economics at Boston University

#11

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 354 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also took the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $13,137 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMass Amherst Economics Report

#12

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 321 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandeis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,567 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brandeis University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Economics at Brandeis University

#13

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 40 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mt. Holyoke has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $12,063 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mount Holyoke College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Mt. Holyoke Economics Report

#14

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #14, Westfield State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Westfield is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Westfield not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Westfield is $12,672 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Westfield

#15

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Fitchburg State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fitchburg State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Fitchburg State also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Fitchburg State University is $11,770 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Economics at Fitchburg State

#16

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #16, University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lowell, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $11,560 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Massachusetts - Lowell Economics Report

#17

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Worcester State is a medium-sized school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 12 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Worcester State is $16,011 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Economics at Worcester State University

#18

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Bridgewater State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and it awarded 35 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State University is $13,332 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Economics at Bridgewater State University

#19

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,859 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMass Boston.

Read full report on Economics at UMass Boston

#20

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Framingham State University is a public institution located in Framingham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Framingham State is $14,612 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Economics at Framingham State

#21

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salem State is a public institution located in Salem, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,593 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Salem State University.

Read more about Economics at Salem State University

#22

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #22, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 33 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $20,511 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wheaton College Massachusetts Economics Report

#23

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #23, Clark University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 58 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Clark did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Clark is $22,734 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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.

Read more about Economics at Clark University

#24

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #24, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a public institution located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Dartmouth also took the #25 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $13,925 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UMass Dartmouth Economics Report

#25

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #25, Emmanuel College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emmanuel Boston has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emmanuel Boston is $24,411 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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