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2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

30 Ranked Colleges
3,354 Degrees Awarded
$23,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts 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 in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, there were 3,354 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,242 and $22,416 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great economics programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

The economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid”.

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. 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 in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics in Massachusetts (With Aid)

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 348 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $15,386 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Harvard University

#2

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #2 spot on the list. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 135 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $19,480 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.

Full Williams Economics Report

#3

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amherst College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 74 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Amherst also took the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $18,524 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid per year to attend Amherst.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Amherst College Economics Report

#4

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 82 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students with aid list, Wellesley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $22,087 for massachusetts economics students with aid per year to attend Wellesley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Wellesley

#5

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Fitchburg State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Fitchburg State is a medium-sized public school situated in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Fitchburg State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $16,001 for massachusetts economics students with aid per year to attend Fitchburg State University.

Read more about Economics at Fitchburg State University

#6

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school awarded 354 degrees to qualified ’s economics 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. It costs about $22,501 for massachusetts economics students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Economics at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#7

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,492 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid per year to attend Worcester State.

Read more about Economics at Worcester State University

#8

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

Westfield State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Westfield, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westfield, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield State University is $19,167 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid.

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

University of Massachusetts - Boston ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. UMass Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 135 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $18,340 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

Full UMass Boston Economics Report

#10

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 372 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $35,899 for massachusetts economics students with aid per year to attend Boston College.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Economics at Boston College

#11

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Bridgewater State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bridgewater, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,457 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid per year to attend Bridgewater State.

Read full report on Economics at Bridgewater State University

#12

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Lowell landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and it awarded 37 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $19,119 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Massachusetts - Lowell

#13

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Framingham, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Framingham State is $20,001 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid.

Full Framingham State Economics Report

#14

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Salem State University is a public institution located in Salem, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Salem State is $18,399 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at Salem State

#15

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 197 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $30,744 for Massachusetts 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Tufts

#16

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a public institution located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students with aid list, UMass Dartmouth has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $18,503 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid.

Full University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth Economics Report

#17

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 112 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $37,292 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid per year to attend College of the Holy Cross.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Holy Cross

#18

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 477 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $30,259 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid.

With a 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Boston U Economics Report

#19

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Smith College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 46 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts economics students with aid list, Smith has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Smith College is $28,305 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

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 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Smith College Economics Report

#20

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #20, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Norton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 33 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts also took the #15 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $26,809 for massachusetts economics students with aid per year to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#21

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mt. Holyoke is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Mt. Holyoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Holyoke College is $27,149 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

With a 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mt. Holyoke Economics Report

#22

Assumption University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Assumption University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Assumption not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $28,466 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid per year to attend Assumption University.

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%.

Full Assumption Economics Report

#23

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts

Simmons University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Simmons is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Simmons also made our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Simmons University is $30,008 for massachusetts economics students with aid.

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. The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Simmons University Economics Report

#24

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #24, Emmanuel College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Emmanuel Boston also took the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emmanuel Boston is $28,314 for Massachusetts Economics students with aid.

The low 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%.

Full Emmanuel College Massachusetts Economics Report

#25

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts

Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Wenham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gordon College, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gordon College is $25,777 for Massachusetts 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Gordon 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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