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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in the Southeast Region

111 Ranked Colleges
5,653 Degrees Awarded
$13,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Southeast region, there were 6,333 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,967 and $22,425 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,653 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 111 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in the Southeast Region

#1

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 279 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,789 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend Florida State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Economics at Florida State University

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,355 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 92%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Economics Report

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 319 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $6,302 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend UF.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Economics at UF

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Arkansas landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Conway, Arkansas, this fairly large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,376 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend University of Central Arkansas.

Read full report on Economics at University of Central Arkansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 124 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $7,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Florida International University

#6

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,248 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend University of Memphis.

Read full report on Economics at UofM

#7

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Appalachian State is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,920 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Economics at Appalachian State University

#8

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia

Georgia Southern University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. GaSou is a large school located in Statesboro, Georgia that handed out 10 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Southern University is $15,536 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students.

Read full report on Economics at GaSou

#9

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. FAU is a public institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $10,186 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students.

Read more about Economics at Florida Atlantic University

#10

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCF is $10,274 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students.

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 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Central Florida

#11

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. JMU is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 61 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students list, JMU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $22,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend James Madison University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 89%.

Read more about Economics at JMU

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Florida A&M University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida A&M University is $15,060 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

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 Florida A&M University Economics Report

#13

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $16,529 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students.

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 Carolina at Charlotte Economics Report

#14

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #14, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 98 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,844 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend East Carolina University.

Read full report on Economics at East Carolina University

#15

Mercer University

Macon, Georgia
#15 in overall quality

Mercer University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Macon, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Mercer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $21,464 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend Mercer.

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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Mercer

#16

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $19,055 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full University of North Carolina at Wilmington Economics Report

#17

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

With a ranking of #17, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. The University of West Florida is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,406 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

Read more about Economics at The University of West Florida

#18

Troy University

Troy, Alabama

Troy University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Troy University is a public institution located in Troy, Alabama. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Troy University is $14,285 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students.

Full TROY Economics Report

Arkansas State University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Arkansas State University - Main Campus is $13,406 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students.

Full Arkansas State University - Main Campus Economics Report

#20

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, this fairly large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,923 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend Southern Miss.

Read full report on Economics at University of Southern Mississippi

#21

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 72 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #21 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,649 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend UGA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at UGA

#22

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 116 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $21,198 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Economics at Virginia Tech

#23

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #23. University of North Florida is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 18 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,606 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend UNF.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Economics Report

#24

University of West Georgia

Carrollton, Georgia

University of West Georgia ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. University of West Georgia is a public institution located in Carrollton, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of West Georgia is $16,124 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students.

Read full report on Economics at University of West Georgia

#25

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

With a ranking of #25, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 409 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,352 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Economics Report

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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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