by our College Data Analytics Team
[Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find where economics graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send economics graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Colby College earned the #1 spot for highest-paid economics graduates in Maine. Set in the town of Waterville, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from Colby College make a median of around $142,245 per year.
Bowdoin College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in economics, landing the #2 spot this year. Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Brunswick. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Bowdoin College typically earn about $122,126 annually.
Bates College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in economics, landing the #3 spot this year. Bates College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lewiston. Early-career economics graduates from Bates College make a median of around $108,673 per year.
University Of Southern Maine came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Located in the city of Portland, University Of Southern Maine is a public institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,173.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Maine one of the highest-paying schools for economics. Located in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a public institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,159.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their economics graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 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.