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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region

19 Ranked Colleges
206 Degrees Awarded
$31,600 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 49,055 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 6,916 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,027 and $23,639 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 206 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,305 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer 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.

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Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region doctor’s degree economics students.

Top 19 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 43 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%.

Read more about Economics at University of Chicago

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 19 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Economics at Northwestern

3

Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 31 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Economics at UW - Madison

4

Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 22 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full UIUC Economics Report

5
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 19 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Michigan State University

6

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at SIUC

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 5 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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%.

Read more about Economics at Notre Dame

8

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Full NIU Economics Report

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor Economics Report

10
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. WMU is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 5 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Western Michigan University Economics Report

11

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Economics Report

12

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Economics at Ohio State

13
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 91%.

Read more about Economics at Indiana University - Bloomington

14

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 3 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Economics Report

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on Economics at Purdue University - Main Campus

16
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at Wayne State University

17

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 full report on Economics at IUPUI

18

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UC

19
Andrews crest
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Andrews University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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.

Read more about Economics at Andrews University

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