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.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 6 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.
Rockhurst University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid economics graduates in Missouri. Set in the city of Kansas City, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,603.
Washington University In St Louis came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying economics schools. Washington University In St Louis is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. Economics graduates of Washington University In St Louis earn a median of about $79,278 a year early in their careers.
University Of Missouri Columbia produces some of the highest-paid graduates in economics, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a public institution. After graduating, economics degree recipients from University Of Missouri Columbia typically earn about $73,165 annually.
Missouri State University Springfield produces some of the highest-paid graduates in economics, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a public institution. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $83,960.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Missouri St Louis one of the highest-paying schools for economics. University Of Missouri St Louis is a public school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Students who complete the economics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $65,785.
University Of Central Missouri came in at #6 for economics graduate earnings this year. University Of Central Missouri is a public school located in the town of Warrensburg. Economics graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of about $65,080 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 · 6 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.