2022 Best Economics Schools
In 2022, College Factual analyzed 627 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Economics Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 48,831 degrees in economics to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Economics School
The economics program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Economics rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for economics schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Economics Degree Level
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Economics Schools list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Featured Economics Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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MS in Applied Economics
If you're the kind of person who enjoys working with numbers and solving tough problems, a graduate degree in economics may be for you. Learn More > |
Best Schools for Economics in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the economics degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in Economics
Claremont McKenna College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in economics. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Claremont. A Best Schools rank of #5 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.
There were approximately 118 economics students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the economics program at Claremont McKenna College make $35,105 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in economics from Claremont McKenna College
It is hard to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in economics. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Schools rank of #7 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were approximately 525 economics students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the economics program at University of Chicago make $35,705 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in economics from University of Chicago
Duke University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in economics. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Schools rank of #9 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were roughly 328 economics students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the economics degree program at Duke University earn $42,505 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in economics from Duke University
Yale University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in economics. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven. A Best Schools rank of #8 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.
There were about 286 economics students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from Yale University earn $34,105 more than the standard economics grad.
More information about a degree in economics from Yale University
Williams is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Williamstown. This college ranks 3rd out of 72 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were roughly 135 economics students who graduated with this degree at Williams in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the economics major at Williams College earn $26,205 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in economics from Williams College
Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Schools rank of #6 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.
There were roughly 166 economics students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from Dartmouth College earn $36,905 more than the typical economics graduate.
More information about a degree in economics from Dartmouth College
UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Schools rank of #13 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were roughly 260 economics students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania earn a boost of approximately $27,405 above the average earnings of economics graduates.
More information about a degree in economics from University of Pennsylvania
Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Schools rank of #10 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.
There were roughly 348 economics students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from Harvard University receive an earnings boost of around $31,505 above the typical earnings of economics graduates.
More information about a degree in economics from Harvard University
Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were about 401 economics students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University make $32,805 more than the average economics student.
More information about a degree in economics from Johns Hopkins University
Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Schools rank of #14 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 392 economics students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from Northwestern University make $21,905 more than the average economics grad.
More information about a degree in economics from Northwestern University
Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 50 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.
There were roughly 289 economics students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in economics from Vanderbilt University
Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Schools rank of #12 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.
There were roughly 164 economics students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in economics from Princeton University
Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 160 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 216 economics students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from Cornell University earn $20,205 more than the standard economics student.
More information about a degree in economics from Cornell University
Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Schools rank of #15 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.
There were roughly 273 economics students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame receive $17,005 more than the average economics grad.
More information about a degree in economics from University of Notre Dame
Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Schools rank of #3 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were about 114.99999999999999 economics students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in economics from Stanford University
Pomona is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Claremont. A Best Schools rank of #11 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Pomona is a great college overall.
There were roughly 60 economics students who graduated with this degree at Pomona in the most recent year we have data available. Economics degree recipients from Pomona College receive an earnings boost of around $33,505 above the average income of economics graduates.
More information about a degree in economics from Pomona College
Brown is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence. This university ranks 1st out of 10 colleges for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.
There were about 231 economics students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Brown University receive $11,105 more than the standard economics graduate.
More information about a degree in economics from Brown University
Located in the large suburb of Amherst, Amherst is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 4th out of 72 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were approximately 74 economics students who graduated with this degree at Amherst in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Amherst College earn $22,505 more than the standard economics student.
More information about a degree in economics from Amherst College
Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 1st out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were approximately 103 economics students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in economics from Rice University
Located in the distant town of Hamilton, Colgate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 160 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 133 economics students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the economics program at Colgate University earn $19,105 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in economics from Colgate University
Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. This university ranks 2nd out of 160 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 528 economics students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the economics degree program at Columbia University in the City of New York get $28,005 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in economics from Columbia University in the City of New York
Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 203 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 782 economics students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of approximately $15,705 above the average income of economics majors.
More information about a degree in economics from University of California - Berkeley
Middlebury is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Middlebury. This college ranks 1st out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of Vermont.
There were approximately 129 economics students who graduated with this degree at Middlebury in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in economics from Middlebury College
WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. This university ranks 1st out of 55 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were approximately 138 economics students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in economics from Washington University in St Louis
Barnard is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of New York. This college ranks 4th out of 160 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 80 economics students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from Barnard College receive an earnings boost of approximately $20,805 over the typical income of economics graduates.
More information about a degree in economics from Barnard CollegeRest of the Top 50 Best Economics Schools
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Economics Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 627 different United States economics schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Economics students that almost earned our Best Economics Schools award.
Economics by Region
View the Best Economics Schools for a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Economics
Economics is one of 12 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
Economics Focus Areas
Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
General Economics | 31,150 |
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics | 15,671 |
Applied Economics | 652 |
Development Economics & International Development | 595 |
Other Economics | 428 |
International Economics | 335 |
View All Economics Concentrations >
Most Popular Related Majors
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Political Science & Government | 48,597 |
Sociology | 37,807 |
General Social Sciences | 19,742 |
International Relations & National Security | 14,762 |
Anthropology | 12,008 |
Criminology | 10,182 |
Geography & Cartography | 8,936 |
Other Social Sciences | 2,491 |
Urban Studies | 1,475 |
Sociology & Anthropology | 498 |
View All Economics Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.
More about our data sources and methodologies.