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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in Washington (With Aid)

12 Ranked Colleges
680 Degrees Awarded
$24,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in Washington For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Washington, there were 730 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,614 and $20,320 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 680 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,202 and $21,977 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 12 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in Washington (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 312 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

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

Read full report on Economics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#2

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Washington University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid. Located in Cheney, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

EWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $12,607 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at Eastern Washington University

#3

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid list. Washington State University is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu also took the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $16,358 for washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Washington State University

#4

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Washington University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 82 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, WWU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,529 for washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Western Washington University

#5

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Washington University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ellensburg, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

CWU also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $15,397 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend Central Washington University.

Read more about Economics at Central Washington University

#6

Whitworth University

Spokane, Washington
#7 in overall quality

Whitworth University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Spokane, Washington, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Whitworth also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $25,557 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend Whitworth University.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Whitworth

#7

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, Washington
#9 in overall quality

Pacific Lutheran University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tacoma, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

PLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific Lutheran University is $23,058 for washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Pacific Lutheran University

#8

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Pacific University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

SPU also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Seattle Pacific University is $26,505 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at SPU

#9

Gonzaga University

Spokane, Washington

Gonzaga University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid list. Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Spokane, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Gonzaga has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gonzaga is $33,793 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Gonzaga

#10

Seattle University

Seattle, Washington

Seattle University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Seattle U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The yearly cost to attend Seattle U is $34,802 for washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Seattle University

#11

Whitman College

Walla Walla, Washington

Whitman College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Walla Walla, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Whitman, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Whitman College is $38,672 for washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Whitman College Economics Report

#12

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, Washington

University of Puget Sound landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Puget Sound is located in Tacoma, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Puget Sound did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $35,149 for washington bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend Puget Sound.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Economics at University of Puget Sound

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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