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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

44 Ranked Colleges
1,683 Degrees Awarded
$14,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Economics is the 18th most popular major in the country with 48,831 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Pennsylvania, there were 1,802 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,304 and $24,346 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,683 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 44 colleges that offer a degree in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 economics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 225 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $4,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Economics Report

#2

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Swarthmore College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Swarthmore, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $8,701 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Swarthmore.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Economics at Swarthmore College

#3

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Haverford also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Haverford is $6,498 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Haverford

#4

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lafayette College is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 117 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $11,360 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a 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 87%. 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%.

Read more about Economics at Lafayette College

#5

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $13,782 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Economics Report

#6

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

Bryn Mawr College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bryn Mawr is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bryn Mawr, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bryn Mawr is $9,007 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Bryn Mawr

#7

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dickinson College is a small school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania that handed out 54 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dickinson, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson is $12,662 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 full report on Economics at Dickinson College

#8

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gettysburg is a small school located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 74 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Gettysburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gettysburg College is $14,029 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Gettysburg College Economics Report

#9

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Franklin and Marshall is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It awarded 62 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Franklin and Marshall also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $12,000 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Franklin and Marshall.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Franklin and Marshall College Economics Report

#10

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bradford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pitt Bradford is $15,476 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Pitt Bradford

With a ranking of #11, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 181 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Pitt has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $21,011 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 students.

Read full report on Economics at Pitt

#12

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,470 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Full Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Economics Report

#13

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lycoming is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lycoming is $14,089 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Lycoming Economics Report

#14

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Saint Vincent College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Saint Vincent also took the #19 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Vincent College is $14,915 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Vincent College Economics Report

#15

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Westminster College Pennsylvania ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Westminster College Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Westminster New Wilmington is $17,505 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Westminster New Wilmington Economics Report

#16

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,986 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Edinboro.

Read full report on Economics at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

#17

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #17, Albright College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Albright is a private not-for-profit institution located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Albright College is $15,867 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Economics at Albright College

#18

Allegheny College

Meadville, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Allegheny is located in Meadville, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Allegheny also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Allegheny College is $16,523 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 2.8% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Allegheny

#19

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Susquehanna has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Susquehanna is $19,548 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Susquehanna Economics Report

#20

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Elizabethtown College is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $20,837 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elizabethtown College.

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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Etown

#21

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $16,232 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Bloomsburg Economics Report

#22

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Messiah University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Messiah University is a small school located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Messiah did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,802 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Messiah University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Messiah

#23

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Muhlenberg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Muhlenberg also took the #15 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Muhlenberg College is $16,160 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Muhlenberg Economics Report

#24

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Temple is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,879 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Temple University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Temple University Economics Report

#25

Washington & Jefferson College

Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington & Jefferson College is located in Washington, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

W&J also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend W&J is $19,348 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full W&J Economics Report

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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