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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Economics

925 Ranked Colleges
49,055 Degrees Awarded
$37,400 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Economics Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended 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 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Economics Major” ranking looked at 925 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in economics.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Economics Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Most Well Attended Economics Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Economics Major”.

1

Out of the 925 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 884 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at University of California - Los Angeles

2

Out of the 925 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 864 ’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW - Madison Economics Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 808 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on Economics at University of California - Berkeley

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Economics Major. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 728 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5

Out of the 925 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #5 spot on the list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 723 ’s 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Economics Report

6

University of California - Davis landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 661 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at UC Davis

7
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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 626 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Chicago

8

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking, coming in at #8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 563 ’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 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%.

Read full report on Economics at UIUC

9
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 548 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NYU Economics Report

10
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major list. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 528 ’s economics degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

11

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking, coming in at #11. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 513 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMCP Economics Report

12

University of California - Irvine ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 490 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. 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 UC Irvine Economics Report

13
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University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking, coming in at #13. University of Connecticut is located in Storrs, Connecticut and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 481 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 UCONN

14

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking, coming in at #14. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 480 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 94%.

Read more about Economics at University of California - San Diego

15
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking, coming in at #15. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 452 students 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 92%, 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 Boston University

16
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 445 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 93%.

Read more about Economics at Boston College

17

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 445 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 89%.

Read more about Economics at UMass Amherst

18

With a ranking of #18, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major list. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 458 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Columbia

19

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 430 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Economics at The University of Texas at Austin

20

Utah State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking, coming in at #20. USU is a public institution located in Logan, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 424 ’s 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%.

Read full report on Economics at USU

21

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 419 ’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Economics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 417 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at UMN Twin Cities

23
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #23, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 417 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Johns Hopkins Economics Report

24
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 404 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 93%.

Read more about Economics at Rutgers New Brunswick

25
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 402 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 Northwestern

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Economics Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Queens College
Queens, New York
27
28
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Binghamton University
Vestal, New York
29
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
30
31
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
32
33
34
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
35
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Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
35
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Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California
37
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Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts
38
38
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University at Albany
Albany, New York
40
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Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
41
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
42
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
43
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
44
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
44
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University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
46
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University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
47
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California
47
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
49
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Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
50
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George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Economics Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51University of HoustonHouston, TX
51Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
53Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
54Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
54Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
56Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
57University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
58Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
59University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
60Blinn CollegeBrenham, TX
61Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
61California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
63University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
64University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
65George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
RankCollegeLocation
66Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
66University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
68Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, CA
69Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
70Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
70Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
72University of DelawareNewark, DE
73Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
74Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
75United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD
75Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
77Frostburg State UniversityFrostburg, MD
78University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
79Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
79University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
79Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
82Grossmont CollegeEl Cajon, CA
83Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
84University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO
85Fort Hays State UniversityHays, KS
86Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
87Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
88The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
89University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
90Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
RankCollegeLocation
90Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
90American UniversityWashington, DC
90College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
94West Valley CollegeSaratoga, CA
95University of IowaIowa City, IA
95Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
97Rice UniversityHouston, TX
98University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
99University of RochesterRochester, NY
99William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
101San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
102Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
103Moorpark CollegeMoorpark, CA
104Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
104University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
106University of KansasLawrence, KS
107Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
107Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
109Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA
109Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
111University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
112Golden West CollegeHuntington Beach, CA
113California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
113Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
113Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA
RankCollegeLocation
116East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey Park, CA
117Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
118Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
119East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
119University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
119Los Angeles Valley CollegeValley Glen, CA
119Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
123Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
124Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA
125Los Angeles Pierce CollegeWoodland Hills, CA
125Diablo Valley CollegePleasant Hill, CA
127Baruch CollegeNew York, NY
127Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
127Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
130University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
130Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
130University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
133Towson UniversityTowson, MD
133California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
135Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
135Hobart and William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY
137Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
138DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
138University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
138St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
RankCollegeLocation

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