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.
Leading the list is Duke University, our #1 for economics graduate salaries in North Carolina. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Duke University typically earn about $171,986 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in economics will find them at Elon University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Elon, Elon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $95,431.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earned it the #3 place for economics. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a public institution. Economics graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of about $96,785 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Wake Forest University earned it the #4 place for economics. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career economics graduates from Wake Forest University make a median of around $109,506 per year.
Guilford College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Guilford College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Greensboro. After graduating, economics degree recipients from Guilford College typically earn about $70,332 annually.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro came in at #6 for economics graduate earnings this year. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a public school located in the city of Greensboro. Economics graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of about $59,622 a year early in their careers.
East Carolina University earned the #7 position for economics graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a public institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from East Carolina University typically earn about $64,033 annually.
North Carolina A And T State University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for economics. Set in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina A And T State University is a public institution. Economics graduates of North Carolina A And T State University earn a median of about $54,049 a year early in their careers.
University Of North Carolina At Asheville ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Set in the city of Asheville, University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a public institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $54,370.
Winston Salem State University came in at #10 for economics graduate earnings this year. Winston Salem State University is a public school located in the city of Winston-Salem. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $25,653.
This ranking is produced 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 · 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.