by our College Data Analytics Team
[Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value economics schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in economics, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in economics, no school beat Brigham Young University Idaho this year. Set in the town of Rexburg, Brigham Young University Idaho is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,800. Typical student debt for economics graduates is $13,287. Early-career economics graduates make about $43,853. Set against $13,287 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Boise State University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value economics schools. Located in the city of Boise, Boise State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,048, compared with $27,788 for out-of-state students. Economics graduates carry a median of $24,675 in student loans. Economics graduates of Boise State University earn a median of $46,137 early in their careers. Set against $24,675 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.