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2025 Best Economics Schools

407 Colleges in the United States
47,809 Economics Degrees Awarded
$55,327 Avg Early-Career Salary
Economics is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #19 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 407 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Economics Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 47,809 degrees in economics to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Economics School

Best Economics Schools 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

Associate Degrees in Economics
Bachelor's Degrees in Economics
Master's Degrees in Economics
Doctor's Degrees in Economics

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.

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 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Economics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
777 Economics Degrees Awarded
19.4% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in economics. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 777 economics students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from University of Chicago make $36,748 more than the average economics graduate.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
421 Economics Degrees Awarded
4.5% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in economics has to take a look at Northwestern University. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 421 economics students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of approximately $29,605 over the average earnings of economics graduates.

More information about a degree in economics from Northwestern University

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MS in Applied Economics Program Name

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.

More information about a degree in MS in Applied Economics from Southern New Hampshire University
3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
281 Economics Degrees Awarded
2.8% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in economics needs to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 281 economics students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the economics program at University of Pennsylvania get $33,770 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Pennsylvania

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
269 Economics Degrees Awarded
$84,311 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in economics. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 269 economics students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from Vanderbilt University get an earnings boost of around $28,984 over the typical earnings of economics graduates.

More information about a degree in economics from Vanderbilt University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
535 Economics Degrees Awarded
14.4% Growth in Graduates

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 535 economics students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York earn $27,808 more than the typical economics grad.

More information about a degree in economics from Columbia University in the City of New York

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
450 Economics Degrees Awarded
7.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 450 economics students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the economics major at Johns Hopkins University make $37,503 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in economics from Johns Hopkins University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
280 Economics Degrees Awarded
15.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 280 economics students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the economics degree program at Cornell University make $29,640 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in economics from Cornell University

8
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
332 Economics Degrees Awarded
19.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 332 economics students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the economics program at Harvard University get $48,666 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in economics from Harvard University

9
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
288 Economics Degrees Awarded
11.1% Growth in Graduates

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 288 economics students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from Duke University earn a boost of around $43,322 above the typical income of economics majors.

More information about a degree in economics from Duke University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
830 Economics Degrees Awarded
2.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 830 economics students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $25,119 more than the standard economics graduate.

More information about a degree in economics from University of California - Berkeley

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
149 Economics Degrees Awarded
22.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 149 economics students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Stanford University make $42,777 more than the average economics grad.

More information about a degree in economics from Stanford University

12
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
237 Economics Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Providence. This university ranks 1st out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were approximately 237 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 make $16,737 more than the average economics graduate.

More information about a degree in economics from Brown University

13
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
284 Economics Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 284 economics students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from Georgetown University make $27,764 more than the standard economics student.

More information about a degree in economics from Georgetown University

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Economics Degrees Awarded
$94,675 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were roughly 170 economics students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from Dartmouth College receive an earnings boost of about $39,348 over the average income of economics majors.

More information about a degree in economics from Dartmouth College

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
252 Economics Degrees Awarded
$76,299 Median Starting Salary

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 252 economics students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the economics major at University of Notre Dame earn $20,972 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Notre Dame

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,052 Economics Degrees Awarded
15.0% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 4th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 1052 economics students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles make $6,764 more than the standard economics student.

More information about a degree in economics from University of California - Los Angeles

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
483 Economics Degrees Awarded
$74,958 Median Starting Salary

University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 483 economics students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn a boost of approximately $19,631 over the average income of economics majors.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Virginia - Main Campus

18
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
440 Economics Degrees Awarded
$72,105 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This college ranks 3rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 440 economics students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Economics degree recipients from Boston College get an earnings boost of around $16,779 over the typical earnings of economics graduates.

More information about a degree in economics from Boston College

19
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
284 Economics Degrees Awarded
13.0% Growth in Graduates

Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven. This university ranks 1st out of 18 schools for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were about 284 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 $27,290 more than the average economics graduate.

More information about a degree in economics from Yale University

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
690 Economics Degrees Awarded
$68,416 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 690 economics students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the economics degree program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $13,089 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
679 Economics Degrees Awarded
$66,334 Median Starting Salary

UCSB is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara. This university ranks 7th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 679 economics students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara receive $11,007 more than the average economics grad.

More information about a degree in economics from University of California - Santa Barbara

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
602 Economics Degrees Awarded
9.0% Growth in Graduates

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. This university ranks 3rd out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 602 economics students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those economics students who get their degree from New York University receive $13,168 more than the average economics graduate.

More information about a degree in economics from New York University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
469 Economics Degrees Awarded
10.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 469 economics students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the economics major at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn $10,017 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in economics from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

24
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 Economics Degrees Awarded
$75,125 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 231 economics students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent year we have data available. Economics degree recipients from Tufts University get an earnings boost of approximately $19,798 above the typical income of economics graduates.

More information about a degree in economics from Tufts University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
468 Economics Degrees Awarded
3.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 468 economics students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, economics degree recipients typically make an average of $55,733 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in economics from Boston University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Economics Schools

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27
28
29
30
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
31
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
32

33

34
35
36
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
37
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
38
39
40
41

42

43
44
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
45
46
47
48
49
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
50

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Economics Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 407 different United States economics schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
52Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
53Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA
54Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
55Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
56Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
57American UniversityWashington, DC
58Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
59The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX
60Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
61University of FloridaGainesville, FL
62Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
63Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
64Trinity CollegeHartford, CT
65Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
66Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME
67Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
68University of California - IrvineIrvine, CA
69Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
70Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
71Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
72University of Washington - Seattle CampusSeattle, WA
73Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
74Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA
75Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
76University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
77Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT
78Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
79University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
80Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, VA
81University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Economics students that almost earned our Best Economics Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
82Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
83University of RochesterRochester, NY
84Bates CollegeLewiston, ME
85Union College New YorkSchenectady, NY
86William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
87University of IowaIowa City, IA
88University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
89Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA
90Providence CollegeProvidence, RI
91University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, VA
92Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
93Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
94University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
95St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
96Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
97University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
98Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA
99Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
100Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
101Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
102Carleton CollegeNorthfield, MN
103University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
104University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
105George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
106University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
107Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
108DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
109Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
110Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO
111Denison UniversityGranville, OH
112Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
113University of OregonEugene, OR
114University of KansasLawrence, KS
115University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
116Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA
117Kenyon CollegeGambier, OH
118University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
119Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
120Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN
121Hobart and William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY
122San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
123Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT
124University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
125University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
126Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
127The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
128Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
129Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
130Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
131St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY
132Dickinson CollegeCarlisle, PA
133James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
134Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA
135Washington State UniversityPullman, WA

Economics by Region

View the Best Economics Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Economics has other similar majors worth exploring.

Economics Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Economics25,066
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics21,078
Applied Economics550
Development Economics & International Development535
International Economics305
Other Economics275

View All Economics Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Political Science & Government47,686
Sociology35,816
General Social Sciences17,338
International Relations & National Security13,958
Anthropology11,105
Geography & Cartography8,281
Other Social Sciences2,116
Urban Studies1,453
Sociology & Anthropology520
Archeology333

View All Economics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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