by our College Data Analytics Team
[Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their economics graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 88 schools on the early-career earnings of their economics graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose economics graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is University Of Pennsylvania, our #1 for economics graduate salaries in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $152,236.
Barnard College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in economics, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of New York, Barnard College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Barnard College typically earn about $136,964 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Johns Hopkins University earned it the #3 place for economics. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. Economics graduates of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of about $145,452 a year early in their careers.
Carnegie Mellon University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in economics, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University typically earn about $132,407 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in economics will find them at Columbia University In The City Of New York, which ranked #5. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Economics graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of about $134,398 a year early in their careers.
Princeton University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Princeton. Economics graduates of Princeton University earn a median of about $103,041 a year early in their careers.
Cornell University placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for economics. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Cornell University typically earn about $129,667 annually.
Saint Josephs University earned the #8 position for economics graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Saint Josephs University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from Saint Josephs University make a median of around $101,844 per year.
Swarthmore College came in at #9 for economics graduate earnings this year. Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Swarthmore. Early-career economics graduates from Swarthmore College make a median of around $136,021 per year.
Colgate University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Set in the rural area of Hamilton, Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Colgate University typically earn about $130,139 annually.
Skidmore College came in at #11 for economics graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs, Skidmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from Skidmore College make a median of around $96,378 per year.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earned the #12 position for economics graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Troy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute typically earn about $92,037 annually.
Vassar College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $103,043.
Hamilton College placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for economics. Set in the suburb of Clinton, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from Hamilton College make a median of around $108,312 per year.
Georgetown University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Early-career economics graduates from Georgetown University make a median of around $84,460 per year.
Lafayette College landed the #16 spot for economics salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Lafayette College typically earn about $106,100 annually.
Bucknell University came in at #17 for economics graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Lewisburg, Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Economics graduates of Bucknell University earn a median of about $101,580 a year early in their careers.
New York University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from New York University make a median of around $105,120 per year.
Union College New York came in at #19 for economics graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Schenectady, Union College New York is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Union College New York typically earn about $113,427 annually.
George Washington University came in at #20 for economics graduate earnings this year. George Washington University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Economics graduates of George Washington University earn a median of about $104,484 a year early in their careers.
Drexel University earned the #21 position for economics graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from Drexel University make a median of around $97,544 per year.
Villanova University ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from Villanova University make a median of around $100,245 per year.
Marist College came in at #23 for economics graduate earnings this year. Marist College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $117,164.
University Of Scranton came in at #24 for economics graduate earnings this year. University Of Scranton is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $79,577.
Gettysburg College came in at #25 for economics graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Gettysburg, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Gettysburg College typically earn about $103,735 annually.
These schools also send economics graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries economics graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 88 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.