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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Economics in California

147 Ranked Colleges
10,520 Degrees Awarded
$38,900 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 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 California, there were 10,520 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,538 and $16,731 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California” ranking looked at 147 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. That schools that top this list have a program in economics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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
Pardee RAND Graduate School crest
Pardee RAND Graduate School
Santa Monica, California

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 in California. Pardee RAND Graduate School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Monica, California. It awarded 25 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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

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 in California list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 116 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Claremont McKenna College

3
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Economics at Pomona

4
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Occidental College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 51 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Oxy

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 723 ’s economics degrees 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 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 UCSB

6
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West Valley College
Saratoga, California

West Valley College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. Saratoga, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at West Valley College

7
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College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California

College of San Mateo did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. College of San Mateo is located in San Mateo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Economics at CSM

8

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 884 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Economics Report

9

University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 661 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at UC Davis

10

University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 808 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Berkeley Economics Report

11
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. Pitzer is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees 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%. 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.

Full Pitzer College Economics Report

12

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 375 ’s economics degrees 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%.

Full University of California - Riverside Economics Report

13
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Canada College
Redwood City, California

With a ranking of #13, Canada College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Canada College is a small school located in Redwood City, California that handed out 42 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Economics at Canada College

14
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Scripps College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Economics at Scripps College

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 159 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at Grossmont College

16
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Full Claremont Graduate University Economics Report

17
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Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara, California

With a ranking of #17, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 193 students in 2020-2021.

Full Santa Barbara City College Economics Report

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 480 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UCSD 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. Folsom Lake College is located in Folsom, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Economics at Folsom Lake

20

University of California - Irvine landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 490 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Economics Report

21
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Pasadena City College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Pasadena, California, this large public school handed out 328 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Full Pasadena City College Economics Report

22

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 219 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 UC Santa Cruz

23
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #23, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 103 ’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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Santa Clara University

24
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Ohlone College
Fremont, California

Ohlone College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in California list. Ohlone College is a medium-sized school located in Fremont, California that handed out 32 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about 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. Los Angeles Valley College is a fairly large public school situated in Valley Glen, California. It awarded 101 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at LAVC

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