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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the early-career earnings of their economics graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send economics graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Colorado School Of Mines earned the #1 spot for highest-paid economics graduates in Colorado. Located in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a public institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Colorado School Of Mines typically earn about $128,586 annually.
Colorado College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Colorado College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Colorado Springs. Early-career economics graduates from Colorado College make a median of around $84,600 per year.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Colorado Denver one of the highest-paying schools for economics. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a public institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from University Of Colorado Denver typically earn about $73,274 annually.
University Of Colorado Boulder came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. Early-career economics graduates from University Of Colorado Boulder make a median of around $79,838 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Colorado State University Fort Collins one of the highest-paying schools for economics. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a public school located in the city of Fort Collins. Economics graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of about $69,679 a year early in their careers.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a public institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Metropolitan State College Of Denver typically earn about $56,582 annually.
Western State College Of Colorado landed the #7 spot for economics salaries this year. Located in the town of Gunnison, Western State College Of Colorado is a public institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,403.
University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for economics. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a public school located in the city of Colorado Springs. Economics graduates of University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs earn a median of about $59,346 a year early in their careers.
University Of Denver came in at #9 for economics graduate earnings this year. University Of Denver is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. Early-career economics graduates from University Of Denver make a median of around $69,514 per year.
University Of Northern Colorado came in at #10 for economics graduate earnings this year. University Of Northern Colorado is a public school located in the city of Greeley. After graduating, economics degree recipients from University Of Northern Colorado typically earn about $45,257 annually.
This list is compiled 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 · 10 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.