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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Economics in California

147 Ranked Colleges
$38,900 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2021-2022, 47,809 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. 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.

Across California, there were 10,639 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,538 and $16,133 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California” ranking, we looked at 147 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california economics students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Economics in California

1
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Pardee RAND Graduate School
Santa Monica, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pardee RAND Graduate School. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Pardee RAND Graduate School is located in Santa Monica, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 41 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Pardee RAND Graduate School

2
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Out of the 147 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Claremont McKenna College Economics Report

3
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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 #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Pomona College Economics Report

4
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 147 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Occidental College landed the #4 spot on the list. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 85 ’s economics 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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Occidental College

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 679 students in 2021-2022.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Economics at University of California - Santa Barbara

6
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West Valley College
Saratoga, California

With a ranking of #6, West Valley College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. West Valley College is a medium-sized public school situated in Saratoga, California. It awarded 146 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

Full West Valley College Economics Report

7
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College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California

College of San Mateo landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. CSM is a medium-sized public school situated in San Mateo, California. It awarded 41 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full College of San Mateo Economics Report

8

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,052 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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

9

University of California - Davis ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 614 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at UC Davis

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 830 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Economics at University of California - Berkeley

11
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Pitzer College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 19 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

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 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Pitzer College

12

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 341 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UCR

13
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Canada College
Redwood City, California

Canada College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. Redwood City, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 43 students in 2021-2022.

Read more about Economics at Canada College

14
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 16 ’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 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Scripps

15
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Grossmont College
El Cajon, California

Grossmont College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. Grossmont College is a fairly large public school situated in El Cajon, California. It awarded 203 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Grossmont College Economics Report

16
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Claremont Graduate University is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 28 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full Claremont Graduate University Economics Report

17
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Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara City College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 144 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Santa Barbara City College

18

University of California - San Diego ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 455 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Full University of California - San Diego Economics Report

19
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Folsom Lake College
Folsom, California

Folsom Lake College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Folsom, California, and it awarded 57 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Full Folsom Lake Economics Report

20

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 482 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of California - Irvine

21
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Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

With a ranking of #21, Pasadena City College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Pasadena City College is a public institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 194 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Pasadena City College

22

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 199 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Read full report on Economics at UC Santa Cruz

23
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 108 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. 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 SCU

24
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Ohlone College
Fremont, California

Ohlone College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Fremont, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Economics at Ohlone College

25
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Los Angeles Valley College
Valley Glen, California

Los Angeles Valley College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Valley Glen, California, and it awarded 133 ’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full LAVC Economics Report

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