College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California

55 Ranked Colleges
6,623 Degrees Awarded
$48,266 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Economics Major in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California” ranking.

Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 10,520 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,538 and $16,731 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,623 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California” ranking analyzed 55 colleges that offered a degree in economics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their economics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Economics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree economics students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in California

1
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 87%. 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.

Full Claremont McKenna College Economics Report

2
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at Pomona College

3
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Occidental College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.

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 1.2% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Oxy

4

Out of the 55 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 695 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at UCSB

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 796 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Economics Report

6
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #6, Pitzer College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitzer College Economics Report

7

University of California - Berkeley landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 758 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Economics Report

8

University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 615 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at UC Davis

9

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 369 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of California - Riverside

10
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. Scripps College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Scripps College

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 472 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at University of California - Irvine

12

University of California - San Diego came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 436 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Economics at UCSD

13
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 103 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 93%.

Read full report on Economics at Santa Clara University

14
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #14, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Loyola Marymount

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 154 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at UC Santa Cruz

16

California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 209 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Economics Report

17
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 240 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full San Diego State University Economics Report

18
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Located in Whittier, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Whittier Economics Report

19
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

Harvey Mudd College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, 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.

Full Harvey Mudd College Economics Report

20
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Pepperdine University

21
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. USD is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USD Economics Report

22
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 82 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Economics at Stanford University

23

With a ranking of #23, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

24
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. SSU is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 36 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Sonoma State University

25

University of California - Merced came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 33 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at UC Merced

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options