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2024 Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools

493 Colleges in the United States
39,397 Bachelor's Degrees
$47,696 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in economics, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #15 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 493 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for economics students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 39,397 bachelor's degrees in economics to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Economics School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools Your choice of economics for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality economics program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for economics students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Economics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.


 

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Economics in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in economics. 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 for a Bachelor's in Economics

1
491 Annual Graduates
$82,564 Median Starting Salary
$13,197 Median Student Debt

University of Chicago is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in economics. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of about $34,868 over the average earnings of economics majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Chicago

2
351 Annual Graduates
$71,488 Median Starting Salary
$16,227 Median Student Debt

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in economics has to look into Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Northwestern University receive $23,792 more than the average economics grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Northwestern University

3
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
222 Annual Graduates
$72,198 Median Starting Salary
$14,000 Median Student Debt

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in economics has to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Pennsylvania earn $24,502 more than the typical economics grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Pennsylvania

4
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Yale University
New Haven, CT
188 Annual Graduates
$87,166 Median Starting Salary
$13,250 Median Student Debt

Yale University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in economics. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of New Haven.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Yale University make $39,470 more than the standard economics student.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Yale University

5
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
211 Annual Graduates
$72,741 Median Starting Salary
$12,424 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the economics degree program at Vanderbilt University get $25,045 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Vanderbilt University

6
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Duke University
Durham, NC
161 Annual Graduates
$94,699 Median Starting Salary
$13,437 Median Student Debt

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Duke University earn $47,003 more than the typical economics graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Duke University

7
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Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
154 Annual Graduates
$89,515 Median Starting Salary
$6,617 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Harvard University receive $41,819 more than the average economics student.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Harvard University

8
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Rice University
Houston, TX
101 Annual Graduates
$87,989 Median Starting Salary
$11,289 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the economics major at Rice University get $40,293 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Rice University

9
282 Annual Graduates
$73,902 Median Starting Salary
$25,000 Median Student Debt

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York receive an earnings boost of approximately $26,206 above the average income of economics majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Columbia University in the City of New York

10
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
82 Annual Graduates
$60,475 Median Starting Salary
$12,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Stanford University get an earnings boost of around $12,779 over the typical income of economics graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Stanford University

11
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Brown University
Providence, RI
184 Annual Graduates
$64,028 Median Starting Salary
$13,000 Median Student Debt

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Providence.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Brown University get an earnings boost of approximately $16,332 over the typical earnings of economics graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Brown University

12
758 Annual Graduates
$71,330 Median Starting Salary
$13,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the economics major at University of California - Berkeley earn $23,634 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of California - Berkeley

13
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Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
93 Annual Graduates
$81,961 Median Starting Salary
$11,250 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Princeton University earn $34,265 more than the standard economics graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Princeton University

14
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Georgetown University
Washington, DC
150 Annual Graduates
$68,490 Median Starting Salary
$16,500 Median Student Debt

Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Georgetown University earn $20,794 more than the standard economics student.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Georgetown University

15
796 Annual Graduates
$52,741 Median Starting Salary
$15,000 Median Student Debt

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.

Bachelor's recipients from the economics program at University of California - Los Angeles make $5,045 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of California - Los Angeles

16
186 Annual Graduates
$69,416 Median Starting Salary
$15,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Cornell University get an earnings boost of approximately $21,720 above the typical income of economics graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Cornell University

17
254 Annual Graduates
$69,070 Median Starting Salary
$19,965 Median Student Debt

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Notre Dame earn $21,374 more than the standard economics grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Notre Dame

18
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
174 Annual Graduates
$85,069 Median Starting Salary
$18,400 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Dartmouth College earn a boost of around $37,373 above the average earnings of economics graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Dartmouth College

19
116 Annual Graduates
$95,566 Median Starting Salary
$12,000 Median Student Debt

Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Claremont.

Bachelor's recipients from the economics program at Claremont McKenna College earn $47,870 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Claremont McKenna College

20
509 Annual Graduates
$62,202 Median Starting Salary
$19,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the economics major at University of Virginia - Main Campus earn $14,506 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Virginia - Main Campus

21
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
133 Annual Graduates
$55,058 Median Starting Salary
$21,000 Median Student Debt

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Emory University receive $7,362 more than the typical economics student.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Emory University

22
221 Annual Graduates
$54,837 Median Starting Salary
$14,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of about $7,141 above the average income of economics graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Southern California

23
116 Annual Graduates
$69,157 Median Starting Salary
$12,494 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University receive an earnings boost of around $21,461 above the average earnings of economics majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Johns Hopkins University

24
97 Annual Graduates
$61,591 Median Starting Salary
$14,110 Median Student Debt

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Washington University in St Louis make $13,895 more than the average economics graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Washington University in St Louis

25
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
437 Annual Graduates
$60,699 Median Starting Salary
$21,250 Median Student Debt

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.

Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from New York University receive $13,003 more than the typical economics student.

More information about a bachelor’s in economics from New York University

Rest of the Top Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools

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31
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
32

33
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Tufts University
Medford, MA

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35
36
37
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Boston University
Boston, MA
38
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Williams College
Williamstown, MA
39
40
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
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45
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Barnard College
New York, NY
46
47
48
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Amherst College
Amherst, MA
49
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Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
50
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Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 493 different United States economics schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
52 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
53 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
54 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
55 Lafayette College Easton, PA
56 Pomona College Claremont, CA
57 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
58 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
59 Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO
59 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
60 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
61 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
62 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
63 Northeastern University Boston, MA
64 University of Delaware Newark, DE
65 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
66 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
67 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
68 Trinity College Hartford, CT
69 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
70 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
71 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
72 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
73 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank College Location
74 Carleton College Northfield, MN
75 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
76 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
77 Denison University Granville, OH
78 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
79 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
80 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
81 Fordham University Bronx, NY
82 Colby College Waterville, ME
83 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
84 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
85 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
86 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
87 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
88 Utah State University Logan, UT
89 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
90 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
91 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
92 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
93 Villanova University Villanova, PA
94 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
95 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
96 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
97 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
98 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT

Economics by Region

View the Best Economics Bachelor's Degree 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

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Economics is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Economics Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Economics 24,212
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics 14,028
Development Economics & International Development 336
Applied Economics 330
International Economics 276
Other Economics 215

Majors Similar to Economics

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 43,812
Sociology 29,576
International Relations & National Security 9,158
Anthropology 8,890
General Social Sciences 6,378
Geography & Cartography 4,409
Other Social Sciences 1,669
Urban Studies 1,051
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 201

Notes and References

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