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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

28 Ranked Colleges
2,397 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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 the Southwest region, there were 2,902 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,669 and $20,712 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,397 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 28 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

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 the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $16,999 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Rice

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 15 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley also took the #25 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $4,514 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 UT Rio Grande Valley Economics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 450 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Economics at UT Austin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Dallas. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, UT Dallas has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,232 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend UT Dallas.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Dallas Economics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 273 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,706 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Economics at Arizona State University - Tempe

#6

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 166 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,838 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend UH.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at University of Houston

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 276 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $19,057 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Texas A&M College Station

#8

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 241 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,016 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Arizona.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Economics at University of Arizona

University of North Texas came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Texas is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,086 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend UNT.

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 University of North Texas Economics Report

#10

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 98 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $17,571 for Southwest Region 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 Texas Tech

#14 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

OSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,648 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full OSU Economics Report

#12

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Texas State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,230 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend Texas State.

Full Texas State University Economics Report

#12

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#16 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,971 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend ASU - Skysong.

Read full report on Economics at ASU - Skysong

#13

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 48 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,446 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend UNM.

Read more about Economics at UNM

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $14,246 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend UT Arlington.

Full The University of Texas at Arlington Economics Report

With a ranking of #15, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $8,659 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Full NMSU Main Campus Economics Report

Stephen F Austin State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. SFASU is a fairly large public school situated in Nacogdoches, Texas. It awarded 1 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFASU is $13,723 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at Stephen F Austin State University

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Central Oklahoma did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

UCO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $16,562 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend UCO.

Full University of Central Oklahoma Economics Report

#18

Texas Lutheran University

Seguin, Texas
#15 in overall quality

Texas Lutheran University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. TLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seguin, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TLU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Lutheran University is $19,223 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at TLU

#19

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is $16,332 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at Texas A&M Corpus Christi

With a ranking of #20, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 83 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $21,145 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#21

St. Mary's University

San Antonio, Texas
#23 in overall quality

St. Mary’s University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. St. Mary’s is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Mary’s not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $19,276 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend St. Mary’s University.

Full St. Mary’s Economics Report

#22

Austin College

Sherman, Texas

Austin College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Sherman, Texas, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin College also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Austin College is $21,357 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Austin College

#23

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #23, Trinity University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Trinity U is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 38 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity University is $24,669 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, 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%. 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.

Full Trinity University Economics Report

#24

University of Dallas

Irving, Texas

University of Dallas ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Dallas is a small school located in Irving, Texas that handed out 17 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UD also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend University of Dallas is $21,655 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

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 UD

#25

Southwestern University

Georgetown, Texas
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Southwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southwestern is located in Georgetown, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Southwestern also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern is $25,470 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Southwestern

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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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