2023 Most Popular Colleges for Economics in California
147
Ranked Colleges
10,520
Degrees Awarded
$36,800
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Economics Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 “Most Well Attended Economics Major in California” ranking looked at 147 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. To top this list, a school must have a successful economics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Well Attended Economics Major in California
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Economics Major in California”.
Top 26 Most Popular Colleges for Economics in California
Out of the 147 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 884 ’s economics 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%. 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 - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Economics at UC Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and 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 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 University of California - Santa Barbara
Out of the 147 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 661 students in 2020-2021.
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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Davis Economics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 490 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Economics at UC Irvine
University of California - San Diego came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 480 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at UCSD
University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 375 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 91%.
Read full report on Economics at UCR
University of Southern California landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 357 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%. 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.
Full University of Southern California Economics Report
Pasadena City College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 328 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Economics at Pasadena City College
San Diego State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 259 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at SDSU
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 219 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at UC Santa Cruz
California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 214 ’s economics degrees 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 Sac State Economics Report
Santa Barbara City College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. SBCC is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 193 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Economics at Santa Barbara City College
Grossmont College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. Grossmont College is located in El Cajon, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 159 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Economics at Grossmont College
West Valley College ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. West Valley College is a public institution located in Saratoga, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 138 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full West Valley College Economics Report
San Jose State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 ’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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Economics at San Jose State
Moorpark College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. Moorpark College is a fairly large public school situated in Moorpark, California. It awarded 122 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Economics at Moorpark College
Stanford University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 116 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
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 86%. 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
Claremont McKenna College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 116 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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 full report on Economics at Claremont McKenna College
Golden West College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. Huntington Beach, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.
Full Golden West College Economics Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 110 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
With a ranking of #22, East Los Angeles College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. East Los Angeles College is a public institution located in Monterey Park, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Economics at East Los Angeles College
Santa Clara University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 103 ’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 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%.
Full SCU Economics Report
Los Angeles Valley College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Valley Glen, California, and it awarded 101 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Los Angeles Valley College Economics Report
With a ranking of #25, Diablo Valley College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in California list. Diablo Valley is a fairly large public school situated in Pleasant Hill, California. It awarded 98 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Diablo Valley Economics Report
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