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 3 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.
Our analysis ranked University Of Arkansas the top school for economics graduate earnings in Arkansas. Located in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a public institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $66,889.
Strong graduate earnings at Hendrix College earned it the #2 place for economics. Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Conway. Early-career economics graduates from Hendrix College make a median of around $69,847 per year.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Central Arkansas one of the highest-paying schools for economics. Set in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a public institution. Economics graduates of University Of Central Arkansas earn a median of about $41,919 a year early in their careers.
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 · 3 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.