2024 Best Value Colleges for Economics in the Southwest Region
23
Ranked Colleges
2,950
Degrees Awarded
$17,900
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 49,055 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southwest region, there were 2,950 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,930 and $21,274 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking, we looked at 23 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Southwest Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Economics in the Southwest Region
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Houston is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,721 for southwest region economics students per year to attend UH.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Economics at University of Houston
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 101 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,122 for Southwest Region Economics students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Economics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $14,122 for Southwest Region Economics students.
Read full report on Economics at University of North Texas
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 105 students in 2020-2021.
Texas Tech also took the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $16,194 for Southwest Region Economics students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at Texas Tech University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Skysong. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school handed out 57 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at ASU - Skysong
Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school awarded 387 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $18,919 for southwest region economics students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at Texas A&M College Station
Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 234 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region economics students list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,107 for Southwest Region Economics students per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. 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 ASU - Tempe
University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #8. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 67 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of New Mexico - Main Campus is $14,424 for southwest region economics students.
Full UNM Economics Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region economics students list, OSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $14,237 for Southwest Region Economics students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full OSU Economics Report
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 205 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,358 for southwest region economics students per year to attend University of Arizona.
Read full report on Economics at University of Arizona
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 430 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,350 for Southwest Region Economics students.
The undergrad 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 96%.
Read full report on Economics at UT Austin
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 15 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region economics students list, UT Rio Grande Valley has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for Southwest Region Economics students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 full report on Economics at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
UT Arlington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,509 for Southwest Region Economics students per year to attend The University of Texas at Arlington.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full The University of Texas at Arlington Economics Report
With a ranking of #14, Texas State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Texas State University is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 27 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $14,887 for Southwest Region Economics students.
Read full report on Economics at Texas State University
New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. NMSU Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $10,428 for southwest region economics students.
Full New Mexico State University - Main Campus Economics Report
The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,549 for Southwest Region Economics students per year to attend UTSA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at The University of Texas at San Antonio
With a ranking of #17, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 79 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Dallas also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $15,526 for Southwest Region Economics students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at UT Dallas
Rice University landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 132 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $16,076 for Southwest Region Economics students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Economics at Rice
Trinity University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 45 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity U, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity U is $23,953 for southwest region economics students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Economics at Trinity U
With a ranking of #20, University of Dallas did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irving, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $22,162 for southwest region economics students per year to attend University of Dallas.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at University of Dallas
Texas Christian University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 97 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region economics students list, TCU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $39,942 for southwest region economics students per year to attend Texas Christian University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at TCU
With a ranking of #22, Saint Edward’s University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
St. Edward’s University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $26,110 for southwest region economics students per year to attend Saint Edward’s University.
The low undergrad 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 Saint Edward’s University Economics Report
With a ranking of #23, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 222 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
SMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $38,208 for southwest region economics students per year to attend SMU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 91%.
Read more about Economics at Southern Methodist University
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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
- *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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