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2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

37 Ranked Colleges
2,417 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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

Across 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 37 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $48-$75k) in Pennsylvania

1
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k 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 also took the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $12,020 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Pennsylvania

2
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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 #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k. Haverford is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Haverford has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Haverford is $17,402 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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.

Full Haverford College Economics Report

3
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Swarthmore College landed the #3 spot on the list. Swarthmore is a private not-for-profit institution located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Swarthmore, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore is $11,521 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Swarthmore College

4
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Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 76 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $21,526 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Carnegie Mellon

5
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Easton, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 110 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Lafayette also made our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $13,393 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lafayette College.

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%. 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. 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 Lafayette

6
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.

Gettysburg also made our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Gettysburg is $18,391 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Gettysburg Economics Report

7
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carlisle, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

Dickinson also made our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson College is $19,300 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Dickinson College

8
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Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lycoming is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Lycoming did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lycoming is $19,005 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Lycoming

9
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Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Latrobe, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Saint Vincent has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Vincent College is $19,682 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Saint Vincent College

10
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Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #10, Allegheny College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Allegheny, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Allegheny College is $21,460 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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.

Full Allegheny Economics Report

11
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Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Franklin and Marshall is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It awarded 53 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Franklin and Marshall, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall is $18,814 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Franklin and Marshall College

12
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Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, Temple University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 95 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Temple did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,568 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Temple.

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

Full Temple University Economics Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 212 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Pitt has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $24,139 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Pitt Economics Report

14
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $19,050 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

15
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Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees 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 $26,956 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Bucknell

16
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Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Allentown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Muhlenberg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Muhlenberg is $20,783 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Muhlenberg College

17
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Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. W&J is located in Washington, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

W&J also took the #19 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington & Jefferson College is $24,161 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Washington & Jefferson College Economics Report

18
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York College of Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. York, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend York College of Pennsylvania is $20,717 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full York College of Pennsylvania Economics Report

19
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Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $19,879 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Economics at Bloomsburg

20
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Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Villanova is $28,580 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Villanova University

21
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La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #21, La Salle University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. La Salle University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 11 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

La Salle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,975 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend La Salle.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at La Salle University

22
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Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Susquehanna is a small school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Susquehanna also made our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $23,445 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Susquehanna University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Economics at Susquehanna

23
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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $16,208 for Pennsylvania Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Economics at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

24
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California University of Pennsylvania
California, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, California University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal U is a public institution located in California, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $18,197 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full California University of Pennsylvania Economics Report

25
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Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Ursinus College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ursinus 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Economics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Ursinus is $28,371 for pennsylvania economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at Ursinus

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