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2022 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in Massachusetts

30 Ranked Colleges
3,354 Degrees Awarded
$13,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 $30-$48k” 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in Massachusetts

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 348 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,010 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Harvard University Economics Report

#2

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 135 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Williams has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $2,223 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams.

With a 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 90%.

Full Williams College Economics Report

#3

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Amherst College landed the #3 spot on the list. Amherst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Amherst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst College is $4,423 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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. 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%.

Full Amherst College Economics Report

#4

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boston College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 372 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Boston College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $8,951 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#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 $30-$48k 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 also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $4,519 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wellesley College.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Wellesley College

#6

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 197 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Tufts also took the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $6,516 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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

#7

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 200 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern University is $12,823 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Northeastern

#8

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 46 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Smith has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $10,169 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Smith

#9

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 477 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Boston U also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Boston U is $13,256 for massachusetts 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 92%.

Read full report on Economics at Boston U

#10

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 354 students in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend UMass Amherst is $14,474 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#11

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. College of the 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. It costs about $19,031 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend College of the Holy Cross.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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.

Read more about Economics at College of the Holy Cross

#12

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 40 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Mount Holyoke College is $17,192 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 Mt. Holyoke

#13

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 321 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Brandeis has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $16,074 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brandeis.

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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Economics at Brandeis University

#14

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Fitchburg State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fitchburg State is a medium-sized school located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts that handed out 5 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Fitchburg State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fitchburg State is $13,208 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Fitchburg State University Economics Report

#15

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

Westfield State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $14,071 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Westfield.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Westfield State University Economics Report

#16

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is located in Lowell, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UMass Lowell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Lowell is $12,330 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#17

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school handed out 135 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,055 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMass Boston.

Read more about Economics at UMass Boston

#18

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Worcester State University is a public institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Worcester State University is $16,781 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Worcester State Economics Report

#19

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Norton, Massachusetts. It awarded 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. It costs about $22,008 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#20

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #20, Bridgewater State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bridgewater State University is a fairly large school located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts that handed out 35 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,707 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bridgewater State University.

Read more about Economics at Bridgewater State

#21

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Clark University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Clark University is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 58 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Clark also took the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clark is $20,581 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Clark

#22

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Framingham State University is a small public school situated in Framingham, Massachusetts. It awarded 9 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,490 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Framingham State.

Read full report on Economics at Framingham State University

#23

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and it awarded 12 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMass Dartmouth has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Dartmouth is $15,219 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Economics at UMass Dartmouth

#24

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #24, Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Salem, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,416 for massachusetts economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Salem State University.

Read more about Economics at Salem State University

#25

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts

Stonehill College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Easton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Stonehill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $24,386 for Massachusetts Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stonehill.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Stonehill College

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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