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2023 Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

11 Ranked Colleges
65 Degrees Awarded
$34,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 2,950 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,930 and $21,274 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer a degree in economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great economics programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the economics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region doctor’s degree vets studying economics.

Top 11 Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate list. Texas A&M University - College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Texas A&M University - College Station supports 70,418 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,925. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 Texas A&M College Station Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region doctor’s degree vets studying economics list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 74,795 students enrolled at ASU - Tempe, 7,566 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3,828 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,068. In addition to receiving other benefits, 672 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Arizona State University - Tempe]](/colleges/arizona-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

3

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Oklahoma is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 6 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6.Of the 27,772 students enrolled at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus, 12 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,720. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Oklahoma Veteran Student Life Report

4
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 45,601 students enrolled at University of Arizona, 2,131 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,478 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,880. In addition to receiving other benefits, 31 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Arizona offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Arizona Veteran Student Life Report

5
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UH also made our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9.According to our most recent data, UH supports 47,090 students, and 1,382 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 730 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,264. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UH offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

6

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region doctor’s degree vets studying economics list, UT Austin has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 50,476 students enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,893. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

7
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate list. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 5 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas Tech also took the #10 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 40,322 students enrolled at Texas Tech University, 1,242 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 630 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,480. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

8

University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate list. UNM is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 4 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, University of New Mexico - Main Campus supports 22,311 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of New Mexico - Main Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

9

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate ranking. UT Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 6 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Dallas also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 28,669 students enrolled at UT Dallas, 752 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 458 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,706. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UT Dallas]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/student-life/veterans/)

10

Southern Methodist University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate list. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

SMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 327 of the 12,373 students enrolled at Southern Methodist University were GI Bill® students, of which 215 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,612. In addition to receiving other benefits, 103 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 90%.

Full SMU Veteran Student Life Report

11
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Economics for a Doctorate ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 3 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 7,643 students enrolled at Rice University, 157 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,656. On top of their other funding sources, 68 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. 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.

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Notes and References

References

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