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2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

44 Ranked Colleges
1,683 Degrees Awarded
$22,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania 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 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.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Pennsylvania 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 225 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,802 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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 Getting Aid list. Swarthmore College is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Swarthmore has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore College is $19,184 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

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%. 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.

Full Swarthmore College Economics Report

#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 Getting Aid. Haverford is a small school located in Haverford, Pennsylvania that handed out 38 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Haverford, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Haverford is $22,991 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read full report on Economics at Haverford College

#4

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. SRU is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,926 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#5

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is a small public school situated in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $16,833 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

#6

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Saint Vincent College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saint Vincent, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,634 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend Saint Vincent College.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Saint Vincent College

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Pitt is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 181 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Pitt has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,938 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Pitt

#8

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is a small school located in Bradford, Pennsylvania that handed out 2 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is $18,906 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

#9

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lafayette College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 117 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Lafayette has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $32,551 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

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 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%. 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 Lafayette College

#10

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,230 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at Bloomsburg

#11

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Westminster College Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Westminster College Pennsylvania is located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $20,172 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend Westminster College Pennsylvania.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Westminster College Pennsylvania

#12

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Albright College 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 yearly cost to attend Albright College is $19,469 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at Albright

#13

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #13, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 7 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $19,855 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at East Stroudsburg University

#14

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Franklin and Marshall is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Franklin and Marshall has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall College is $30,281 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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%. 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 full report on Economics at Franklin and Marshall College

#15

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #15, Lycoming College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Lycoming is $18,580 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at Lycoming

#16

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, Temple University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Temple University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 98 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $23,521 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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

Read more about Economics at Temple

#17

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at Millersville

#18

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania

Clarion University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Clarion University is located in Clarion, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Clarion University is $20,011 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Full Clarion University Economics Report

With a ranking of #19, Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUP is $22,448 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus

#20

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in York, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,652 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend YCP.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full YCP Economics Report

#21

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ship is $22,054 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at Ship

#22

Allegheny College

Meadville, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #22, Allegheny College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Meadville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

Allegheny also took the #22 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Allegheny is $21,682 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Allegheny College

#23

Washington & Jefferson College

Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Washington, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

W&J also took the #17 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington & Jefferson College is $26,427 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full W&J Economics Report

#24

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Susquehanna University is a small school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Susquehanna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Susquehanna University is $25,724 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Susquehanna Economics Report

#25

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal U is $18,154 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at California University of Pennsylvania

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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