by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 47,809 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , economics graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $48,722 and had an average of $21,489 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking analyzed 925 colleges that offered a degree in economics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in economics.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for economics students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pardee RAND Graduate School. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major. Located in Santa Monica, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 129 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of the Holy Cross. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major. Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 128 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hampden - Sydney College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major. Hampden - Sydney College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Out of the 925 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Centre College landed the #5 spot on the list. Centre College of Kentucky is located in Danville, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 53 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
DePauw University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. DePauw is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greencastle, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Lafayette College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Easton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 140 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
United States Naval Academy ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Annapolis, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 172 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #9. Hobart and William Smith Colleges is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Geneva, New York. It awarded 70 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #10, Williams College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 134 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Davidson College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Davidson is located in Davidson, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 75 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Brandeis University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 194 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Tougaloo College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Tougaloo, Mississippi is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 19 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Colorado College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Colgate University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Hamilton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 143 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, Hamilton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. This small school is located in Clinton, New York, and it awarded 88 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Swarthmore College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Ursinus College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Ursinus College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 46 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Frostburg State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Frostburg, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 81 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, Bucknell University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Bucknell University is located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 133 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Wellesley College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Wellesley is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 92 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #22, Denison University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Barnard College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 92 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Pomona College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 47 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Bowdoin College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Brunswick, Maine, and it awarded 78 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Haverford College | Haverford, PA |
| 52 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 53 | Lyon College | Batesville, AR |
| 54 | Queens College | Queens, NY |
| 55 | West Valley College | Saratoga, CA |
| 56 | Union College New York | Schenectady, NY |
| 57 | Amherst College | Amherst, MA |
| 58 | Principia College | Elsah, IL |
| 58 | Washington College | Chestertown, MD |
| 60 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH |
| 61 | Franklin and Marshall College | Lancaster, PA |
| 62 | Allegheny College | Meadville, PA |
| 63 | Kenyon College | Gambier, OH |
| 64 | Spelman College | Atlanta, GA |
| 65 | Brown University | Providence, RI |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Lycoming College | Williamsport, PA |
| 67 | Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL |
| 68 | Binghamton University | Vestal, NY |
| 69 | College of San Mateo | San Mateo, CA |
| 70 | Princeton University | Princeton, NJ |
| 71 | Hendrix College | Conway, AR |
| 72 | Blinn College | Brenham, TX |
| 73 | Saint Johns University | Collegeville, MN |
| 74 | Knox College | Galesburg, IL |
| 75 | Wesleyan College | Macon, GA |
| 76 | Utah State University | Logan, UT |
| 77 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 78 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 79 | Wheaton College Massachusetts | Norton, MA |
| 80 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 81 | University at Albany | Albany, NY |
| 82 | Lawrence University | Appleton, WI |
| 83 | Drew University | Madison, NJ |
| 84 | Austin College | Sherman, TX |
| 85 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 86 | Carleton College | Northfield, MN |
| 87 | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN |
| 88 | Tufts University | Medford, MA |
| 89 | Trinity University | San Antonio, TX |
| 90 | Yale University | New Haven, CT |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | United States Military Academy | West Point, NY |
| 92 | Smith College | Northampton, MA |
| 93 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 94 | University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley, CA |
| 95 | Morehouse College | Atlanta, GA |
| 96 | Monmouth College | Monmouth, IL |
| 97 | University of Puget Sound | Tacoma, WA |
| 98 | Rice University | Houston, TX |
| 99 | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX |
| 100 | Pitzer College | Claremont, CA |
| 101 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT |
| 102 | University of California - Riverside | Riverside, CA |
| 103 | Ripon College | Ripon, WI |
| 104 | Canada College | Redwood City, CA |
| 105 | Washington & Jefferson College | Washington, PA |
| 106 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 107 | Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA |
| 108 | United States Air Force Academy | USAF Academy, CO |
| 109 | Clark University | Worcester, MA |
| 110 | Beloit College | Beloit, WI |
| 111 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 112 | Scripps College | Claremont, CA |
| 113 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 114 | Reed College | Portland, OR |
| 115 | Grossmont College | El Cajon, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | Claremont Graduate University | Claremont, CA |
| 117 | Oberlin College | Oberlin, OH |
| 118 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
| 119 | Gustavus Adolphus College | Saint Peter, MN |
| 120 | Kalamazoo College | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 121 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 122 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 123 | Providence College | Providence, RI |
| 124 | Furman University | Greenville, SC |
| 125 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 126 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 127 | Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 128 | Siena College | Loudonville, NY |
| 129 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 130 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 131 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 132 | Folsom Lake College | Folsom, CA |
| 133 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 134 | Moravian College | Bethlehem, PA |
| 135 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD |
| 136 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
| 137 | Hanover College | Hanover, IN |
| 138 | Pasadena City College | Pasadena, CA |
| 139 | Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, NY |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies