College Rankings

Best Economics Schools

The top 25 of 357 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Economics degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Economics worth it?

For graduates of highly selective institutions, an economics degree is arguably the most lucrative undergraduate credential in existence. It is the traditional, heavily-trodden pathway into investment banking, management consulting, and private equity—fields where starting compensation quickly scales into the stratosphere. However, this payoff is intensely stratified by prestige. The massive value generated at the top of this ranking comes from "target school" status, meaning elite financial firms recruit directly on campus. If you attend a school with a direct pipeline to Wall Street or Silicon Valley venture capital, the degree pays for itself almost instantly. Outside of those elite networks, economics remains a highly respected, versatile business credential, but it won't automatically unlock those same high-finance doors.

Filter by state

#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	Harvard University	MA	87	$103,993	$19,066	+$964K
2	Stanford University	CA	87	$98,104	$13,807	+$926K
3	University of Chicago	IL	87	$92,075	$14,860	+$861K
4	Duke University	NC	86	$98,649	$29,612	+$868K
5	Amherst College	MA	86	$90,568	$23,367	+$812K
6	Vanderbilt University	TN	86	$84,311	$15,846	+$780K
7	Dartmouth College	NH	85	$94,675	$29,519	+$829K
8	Williams College	MA	85	$80,888	$17,716	+$738K
9	University of California-Berkeley	CA	85	$80,446	$13,481†	+$751K
10	Claremont McKenna College	CA	84	$89,505	$28,849	+$780K
11	University of Pennsylvania	PA	84	$89,097	$28,699	+$776K
12	Columbia University in the City of New York	NY	84	$83,135	$21,590	+$745K
13	Yale University	CT	84	$82,617	$23,777	+$731K
14	Rice University	TX	84	$78,814	$13,370	+$735K
15	Johns Hopkins University	MD	84	$78,181	$18,809	+$707K
16	Colby College	ME	84	$76,401	$17,180	+$695K
17	Bowdoin College	ME	84	$75,867	$14,398	+$701K
18	Middlebury College	VT	83	$85,879	$31,483	+$733K
19	Barnard College	NY	83	$85,860	$28,800	+$743K
20	Swarthmore College	PA	83	$76,944	$23,149	+$677K
21	Pomona College	CA	83	$70,051	$19,285	+$623K
22	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	83	$68,416	$13,138†	+$632K
23	Carnegie Mellon University	PA	82	$86,284	$31,944	+$735K
24	Cornell University	NY	82	$84,967	$28,690	+$735K
25	Northwestern University	IL	82	$84,932	$29,167	+$733K
26	Washington and Lee University	VA	82	$71,737	$23,781	+$622K
27	University of California-Santa Barbara	CA	82	$66,334	$16,109†	+$599K
28	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	82	$65,344	$11,655†	+$607K
29	Wellesley College	MA	81	$86,367	$25,496	+$762K
30	Colgate University	NY	81	$77,274	$28,786	+$658K
31	University of Notre Dame	IN	81	$76,299	$26,780	+$656K
32	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	81	$62,091	$12,548†	+$571K
33	Brown University	RI	80	$72,064	$25,184	+$620K
34	Emory University	GA	80	$71,340	$22,585	+$623K
35	Brigham Young University	UT	80	$63,332	$15,564	+$571K
36	University of Virginia-Main Campus	VA	79	$74,958	$21,565†	+$663K
37	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	CA	79	$67,501	$16,665†	+$608K
38	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	79	$58,921	$14,355†	+$532K
39	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus	WA	79	$53,934	$10,163†	+$499K
40	Sonoma State University	CA	79	$53,825	$12,885†	+$487K
41	Carleton College	MN	78	$66,567	$25,407	+$564K
42	Utah State University	UT	78	$60,472	$14,936†	+$545K
43	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	78	$53,934	$14,091†	+$483K
44	Hamilton College	NY	77	$71,350	$28,985	+$598K
45	Trinity College	CT	77	$71,191	$34,832	+$573K
46	Bates College	ME	77	$71,187	$29,351	+$594K
47	Northeastern University Oakland	CA	77	$70,531	$25,181	+$605K
48	William & Mary	VA	77	$65,603	$19,096†	+$580K
49	University of Utah	UT	77	$64,386	$16,200†	+$579K
50	DePauw University	IN	77	$63,395	$22,264	+$545K
51	University of Richmond	VA	77	$61,027	$31,309	+$485K
52	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	77	$59,187	$14,600†	+$533K
53	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	77	$59,142	$16,264†	+$526K
54	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	77	$58,717	$19,857†	+$508K
55	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	77	$58,650	$15,678†	+$524K
56	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	NY	77	$51,728	$3,033†	+$505K
57	Princeton University	NJ	76	$103,041	$6,128	+$1.0M
58	Tufts University	MA	76	$75,125	$39,998	+$591K
59	James Madison University	VA	76	$62,286	$23,322†	+$530K
60	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	76	$56,902	$16,778†	+$502K
61	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	CO	76	$56,201	$11,900†	+$514K
62	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus	CT	76	$52,227	$10,875†	+$479K
63	University of California-San Diego	CA	76	$51,192	$12,470†	+$462K
64	University of Michigan-Dearborn	MI	76	$49,665	$9,492†	+$459K
65	University of Rochester	NY	75	$63,475	$29,278	+$518K
66	Wake Forest University	NC	75	$56,416	$28,719	+$449K
67	University of Delaware	DE	75	$55,905	$17,799†	+$488K
68	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus	PA	75	$55,418	$19,550†	+$476K
69	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	75	$54,495	$17,354†	+$476K
70	University of Connecticut-Avery Point	CT	75	$52,227	$13,807†	+$467K
71	University of California-Davis	CA	75	$50,295	$14,741†	+$444K
72	Northeastern University	MA	74	$70,531	$30,915	+$582K
73	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	74	$69,807	$36,708	+$551K
74	College of the Holy Cross	MA	74	$69,288	$38,782	+$538K
75	Lafayette College	PA	74	$68,164	$34,433	+$544K
76	Gettysburg College	PA	74	$62,925	$31,490	+$503K
77	Union College	NY	74	$62,846	$34,561	+$490K
78	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	WI	74	$57,663	$14,305†	+$519K
79	Iowa State University	IA	74	$57,619	$18,589†	+$502K
80	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	MD	74	$54,859	$16,467†	+$483K
81	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	74	$54,778	$14,967†	+$488K
82	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	CT	74	$52,227	$16,403†	+$457K
83	Rutgers University-Camden	NJ	74	$51,848	$18,745†	+$444K
84	University of California-Santa Cruz	CA	74	$50,518	$17,890†	+$434K
85	University of Georgia	GA	74	$49,725	$13,936†	+$442K
86	Vassar College	NY	73	$79,845	$39,343	+$641K
87	Santa Clara University	CA	73	$76,606	$50,062	+$566K
88	Boston College	MA	73	$72,099	$41,704	+$554K
89	Washington University in St Louis	MO	73	$66,325	$21,786	+$576K
90	Connecticut College	CT	73	$62,732	$36,175	+$483K
91	Trinity University	TX	73	$57,482	$23,464	+$481K
92	George Mason University	VA	73	$53,024	$17,915†	+$459K
93	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	MA	73	$52,309	$22,383†	+$434K
94	University of Connecticut-Stamford	CT	73	$52,227	$16,798†	+$455K
95	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	73	$52,212	$15,300†	+$461K
96	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	73	$51,848	$19,703†	+$440K
97	University of California-Merced	CA	73	$51,212	$11,983†	+$464K
98	University of Houston	TX	73	$50,820	$14,276†	+$451K
99	California State University-Sacramento	CA	73	$49,312	$9,338†	+$456K
100	SUNY College at Geneseo	NY	73	$48,691	$18,211†	+$414K
101	Florida Atlantic University	FL	73	$48,632	$8,752†	+$451K
102	Florida State University	FL	73	$47,304	$11,297†	+$428K
103	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	WI	73	$46,404	$14,158†	+$407K
104	New York University	NY	72	$68,495	$37,050	+$537K
105	George Washington University	DC	72	$67,684	$36,586	+$530K
106	Boston University	MA	72	$55,733	$24,402	+$460K
107	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	PA	72	$55,418	$24,558†	+$456K
108	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	PA	72	$55,418	$23,330†	+$461K
109	Michigan State University	MI	72	$54,013	$19,680†	+$461K
110	Gustavus Adolphus College	MN	72	$52,439	$22,900	+$433K
111	Centre College	KY	72	$51,077	$20,781	+$428K
112	University of Pittsburgh-Bradford	PA	72	$50,529	$15,350†	+$444K
113	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	72	$46,655	$3,925†	+$451K
114	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	72	$46,655	$5,755†	+$444K
115	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	72	$46,655	$5,993†	+$443K
116	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	72	$46,655	$5,650†	+$444K
117	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	72	$46,655	$5,746†	+$444K
118	The University of Texas at Arlington	TX	72	$46,416	$13,951†	+$408K
119	California State University-East Bay	CA	72	$46,408	$9,320†	+$427K
120	San Francisco State University	CA	72	$46,310	$12,278†	+$414K
121	CUNY City College	NY	72	$45,556	$3,776†	+$440K
122	Bucknell University	PA	71	$70,946	$40,766	+$546K
123	Macalester College	MN	71	$59,752	$32,149	+$469K
124	California State University-Channel Islands	CA	71	$57,440	$9,849†	+$535K
125	Miami University-Oxford	OH	71	$57,379	$28,384†	+$460K
126	University of Southern California	CA	71	$57,060	$32,740	+$440K
127	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	VA	71	$56,261	$24,953†	+$463K
128	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	NH	71	$54,328	$23,805†	+$448K
129	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	71	$51,848	$24,406†	+$421K
130	St. Mary's College of Maryland	MD	71	$51,483	$18,441†	+$441K
131	Wayne State University	MI	71	$50,648	$12,766†	+$455K
132	University of Northern Iowa	IA	71	$49,314	$15,901†	+$430K
133	Binghamton University	NY	71	$48,120	$21,620†	+$395K
134	University of Florida	FL	71	$42,349	$6,541†	+$397K
135	Southern Methodist University	TX	70	$71,630	$40,892	+$553K
136	Drexel University	PA	70	$70,967	$38,509	+$556K
137	Rhodes College	TN	70	$57,814	$28,585	+$464K
138	Brandeis University	MA	70	$57,299	$35,736	+$430K
139	St Olaf College	MN	70	$56,238	$23,874	+$467K
140	Canisius University	NY	70	$55,786	$17,940	+$486K
141	Marist University	NY	70	$55,614	$41,544	+$390K
142	Creighton University	NE	70	$54,827	$31,568	+$422K
143	University of South Dakota	SD	70	$52,857	$19,858†	+$449K
144	Kansas State University	KS	70	$52,490	$19,406†	+$447K
145	Central Washington University	WA	70	$52,129	$18,476†	+$447K
146	Pace University	NY	70	$51,426	$30,892	+$391K
147	Towson University	MD	70	$50,910	$17,413†	+$439K
148	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown	PA	70	$50,529	$18,202†	+$432K
149	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	70	$50,209	$17,339†	+$433K
150	Portland State University	OR	70	$47,865	$9,552†	+$440K
151	University of South Florida	FL	70	$47,351	$9,812†	+$434K
152	Grinnell College	IA	70	$46,791	$17,648	+$397K
153	Virginia Military Institute	VA	70	$46,046	$17,113†	+$392K
154	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	70	$45,443	$11,668†	+$408K
155	Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	70	$44,898	$17,613†	+$379K
156	Florida International University	FL	70	$42,314	$9,288†	+$386K
157	California State University-Fullerton	CA	70	$39,993	$6,555†	+$374K
158	Providence College	RI	69	$69,364	$48,523	+$500K
159	Elon University	NC	69	$69,298	$41,555	+$527K
160	Villanova University	PA	69	$67,065	$43,756	+$496K
161	John Carroll University	OH	69	$65,098	$28,746	+$536K
162	Muhlenberg College	PA	69	$59,122	$28,905	+$476K
163	Saint Johns University	MN	69	$54,752	$25,672	+$445K
164	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	WI	69	$53,595	$16,210†	+$471K
165	University of Missouri-Columbia	MO	69	$52,635	$20,268†	+$445K
166	Hampden-Sydney College	VA	69	$52,155	$22,400	+$432K
167	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	WI	69	$51,344	$16,550†	+$447K
168	Texas A&M University-College Station	TX	69	$49,738	$21,315†	+$412K
169	University of Massachusetts-Boston	MA	69	$46,523	$17,707†	+$394K
170	Northern Illinois University	IL	69	$45,386	$13,391†	+$400K
171	San Diego State University	CA	69	$44,125	$15,364†	+$380K
172	Fairfield University	CT	68	$74,023	$48,095	+$548K
173	Smith College	MA	68	$71,559	$27,579	+$605K
174	The College of New Jersey	NJ	68	$62,218	$27,646†	+$512K
175	Hobart William Smith Colleges	NY	68	$61,946	$31,563	+$493K
176	Oberlin College	OH	68	$61,713	$38,645	+$463K
177	St Lawrence University	NY	68	$57,829	$28,651	+$464K
178	Grand Valley State University	MI	68	$53,985	$16,317†	+$475K
179	Western Kentucky University	KY	68	$53,857	$10,990†	+$495K
180	University of Connecticut	CT	68	$52,227	$25,097†	+$422K
181	Wabash College	IN	68	$51,815	$24,336	+$421K
182	University of Iowa	IA	68	$50,223	$22,531†	+$412K
183	University of Arizona	AZ	68	$47,908	$16,674†	+$412K
184	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus	OR	68	$45,708	$18,048†	+$385K
185	University of Kansas	KS	68	$45,420	$18,059†	+$382K
186	Stony Brook University	NY	68	$44,349	$18,784†	+$368K
187	CUNY Lehman College	NY	68	$44,258	$3,148†	+$430K
188	University of California-Irvine	CA	68	$44,087	$14,251†	+$384K
189	Washington State University	WA	68	$39,762	$14,971†	+$338K
190	University of St Thomas	MN	67	$60,323	$29,155	+$487K
191	The University of the South	TN	67	$58,532	$27,872	+$474K
192	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	67	$55,418	$32,875†	+$423K
193	California State University-Stanislaus	CA	67	$51,815	$6,067†	+$494K
194	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	67	$51,521	$25,346†	+$414K
195	University of North Texas	TX	67	$51,316	$15,649†	+$451K
196	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	67	$50,873	$18,743†	+$434K
197	Albion College	MI	67	$48,756	$14,301	+$430K
198	The University of Texas at Dallas	TX	67	$47,034	$18,267†	+$397K
199	Indiana University of Pennsylvania	PA	67	$46,860	$16,804†	+$401K
200	University of Missouri-St Louis	MO	67	$46,583	$15,071†	+$406K
201	Oregon State University	OR	67	$45,708	$19,604†	+$379K
202	St. John's University-New York	NY	67	$45,301	$29,999	+$333K
203	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	67	$44,327	$15,014†	+$383K
204	California State University-San Marcos	CA	67	$40,155	$10,229†	+$361K
205	Colorado College	CO	66	$58,082	$33,375	+$447K
206	Allegheny College	PA	66	$51,722	$22,940	+$425K
207	Washington College	MD	66	$50,835	$27,898	+$397K
208	Central Michigan University	MI	66	$48,636	$17,597†	+$416K
209	CUNY York College	NY	66	$47,940	$4,456†	+$462K
210	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	66	$46,302	$18,976†	+$387K
211	University of Oregon	OR	66	$45,941	$22,182†	+$371K
212	Augsburg University	MN	66	$45,720	$23,873	+$362K
213	Cleveland State University	OH	66	$44,759	$14,764†	+$389K
214	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	CA	66	$39,836	$11,531†	+$352K
215	CUNY Queens College	NY	66	$39,377	$4,195†	+$377K
216	Occidental College	CA	65	$64,885	$38,263	+$496K
217	Kenyon College	OH	65	$58,082	$38,512	+$427K
218	Dickinson College	PA	65	$53,990	$37,607	+$389K
219	Stonehill College	MA	65	$53,303	$33,016	+$401K
220	Millersville University of Pennsylvania	PA	65	$51,960	$20,787†	+$436K
221	Washington & Jefferson College	PA	65	$50,402	$25,002	+$404K
222	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	CO	65	$48,462	$21,279†	+$400K
223	State University of New York at New Paltz	NY	65	$47,363	$18,809†	+$398K
224	Whitman College	WA	65	$46,832	$33,313	+$335K
225	East Carolina University	NC	65	$46,425	$15,739†	+$401K
226	Western Washington University	WA	65	$45,401	$21,193†	+$369K
227	Radford University	VA	65	$45,189	$14,578†	+$394K
228	Spelman College	GA	64	$59,907	$38,967	+$443K
229	University of San Francisco	CA	64	$58,046	$41,431	+$415K
230	Fordham University	NY	64	$55,020	$44,338	+$373K
231	Texas Christian University	TX	64	$54,462	$36,660	+$398K
232	Lake Forest College	IL	64	$53,529	$28,673	+$421K
233	Ursinus College	PA	64	$52,496	$30,536	+$403K
234	Lebanon Valley College	PA	64	$51,183	$26,979	+$404K
235	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	64	$45,446	$10,846†	+$411K
236	Texas Tech University	TX	64	$44,292	$19,070†	+$367K
237	Illinois State University	IL	64	$44,015	$19,398†	+$363K
238	State University of New York at Plattsburgh	NY	64	$43,977	$17,156†	+$371K
239	SUNY Buffalo State University	NY	64	$41,547	$11,346†	+$370K
240	Georgia State University	GA	64	$40,598	$15,931†	+$342K
241	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	64	$37,767	$10,974†	+$334K
242	St Catherine University	MN	63	$64,916	$19,764	+$570K
243	Ball State University	IN	63	$56,782	$14,940†	+$508K
244	Syracuse University	NY	63	$55,974	$38,793	+$405K
245	Denison University	OH	63	$55,087	$40,007	+$391K
246	Siena University	NY	63	$54,328	$33,733	+$408K
247	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	63	$52,864	$24,022†	+$433K
248	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	63	$48,149	$22,811†	+$390K
249	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	CO	63	$46,748	$15,788†	+$404K
250	Hanover College	IN	63	$45,740	$21,829	+$370K
251	University of Mary Washington	VA	63	$45,153	$20,667†	+$369K
252	Gonzaga University	WA	63	$44,845	$35,119	+$308K
253	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	NM	63	$43,656	$15,489†	+$375K
254	California State University-Long Beach	CA	63	$38,475	$10,440†	+$343K
255	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	63	$37,679	$4,564†	+$359K
256	Seton Hall University	NJ	62	$51,464	$31,446	+$389K
257	Fort Hays State University	KS	62	$50,690	$12,569†	+$457K
258	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	62	$50,529	$30,434†	+$384K
259	Temple University	PA	62	$48,242	$28,198†	+$370K
260	University of Central Florida	FL	62	$47,743	$10,411†	+$436K
261	Saint Michael's College	VT	62	$47,211	$25,239	+$371K
262	Willamette University	OR	62	$45,993	$25,121	+$359K
263	Christopher Newport University	VA	62	$45,309	$23,015†	+$361K
264	College of Staten Island CUNY	NY	62	$43,227	$5,579†	+$410K
265	Central Connecticut State University	CT	62	$41,910	$16,857†	+$352K
266	University of Central Missouri	MO	62	$41,076	$14,462†	+$353K
267	California State University-Northridge	CA	62	$35,628	$7,021†	+$328K
268	CUNY Hunter College	NY	62	$34,580	$2,984†	+$334K
269	American University	DC	61	$58,151	$41,943	+$414K
270	University of Dallas	TX	61	$55,732	$22,610	+$467K
271	Case Western Reserve University	OH	61	$53,148	$41,190	+$367K
272	Franklin and Marshall College	PA	61	$52,801	$36,425	+$382K
273	Worcester State University	MA	61	$50,463	$13,381†	+$451K
274	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	61	$46,655	$21,637†	+$380K
275	Tulane University of Louisiana	LA	61	$46,386	$39,949	+$304K
276	Clemson University	SC	61	$45,075	$22,253†	+$362K
277	South Dakota State University	SD	61	$44,663	$19,841†	+$367K
278	William Paterson University of New Jersey	NJ	61	$43,148	$18,745†	+$356K
279	Westfield State University	MA	61	$41,085	$16,721†	+$344K
280	Northeastern Illinois University	IL	61	$40,004	$14,109†	+$344K
281	California State University-Chico	CA	61	$37,432	$14,480†	+$316K
282	Georgetown University	DC	60	$84,460	$40,815	+$681K
283	Western Colorado University	CO	60	$53,403	$16,425†	+$468K
284	Loyola Marymount University	CA	60	$53,206	$48,381	+$339K
285	University of Southern Maine	ME	60	$49,173	$13,596†	+$437K
286	Florida Gulf Coast University	FL	60	$47,344	$12,568†	+$423K
287	Marquette University	WI	60	$46,400	$31,487	+$338K
288	University of West Georgia	GA	60	$39,899	$12,786†	+$348K
289	Kent State University at Kent	OH	59	$56,731	$20,787†	+$484K
290	Pepperdine University	CA	59	$54,267	$58,098	+$310K
291	University of California-Riverside	CA	59	$37,149	$14,304†	+$314K
292	Whitworth University	WA	58	$63,134	$26,534	+$525K
293	Wheaton College	IL	58	$62,889	$26,975	+$521K
294	Bridgewater State University	MA	58	$43,682	$16,383†	+$371K
295	University of Rhode Island	RI	58	$43,444	$21,440†	+$349K
296	Southern Utah University	UT	58	$43,266	$10,462†	+$391K
297	University of Kentucky	KY	58	$41,713	$18,851†	+$342K
298	Eastern Washington University	WA	58	$37,368	$13,886†	+$318K
299	CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice	NY	58	$33,709	$3,203†	+$324K
300	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	57	$58,590	$25,648†	+$483K
301	Olivet Nazarene University	IL	57	$54,169	$20,729	+$459K
302	University of Nevada-Reno	NV	57	$47,766	$15,927†	+$414K
303	Montana State University	MT	57	$47,098	$22,499†	+$381K
304	University at Buffalo	NY	57	$40,078	$20,995†	+$317K
305	Assumption University	MA	56	$58,954	$29,498	+$472K
306	North Central College	IL	56	$52,728	$21,044	+$443K
307	University of North Florida	FL	56	$41,519	$10,154†	+$375K
308	Hendrix College	AR	56	$40,445	$24,149	+$308K
309	University at Albany	NY	56	$37,188	$17,167†	+$303K
310	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	56	$30,432	$10,359†	+$263K
311	Pitzer College	CA	55	$59,767	$34,191	+$461K
312	University of Puget Sound	WA	55	$48,153	$38,394	+$328K
313	Monmouth College	IL	55	$47,048	$17,133	+$402K
314	Rowan University	NJ	55	$38,580	$22,408†	+$296K
315	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	PA	55	$35,051	$15,699†	+$288K
316	Drew University	NJ	55	$33,639	$24,280	+$239K
317	Furman University	SC	54	$55,615	$30,308	+$435K
318	Saint Norbert College	WI	54	$53,350	$26,172	+$429K
319	University of Maine	ME	54	$46,159	$17,510†	+$392K
320	Morehouse College	GA	54	$40,726	$39,013	+$251K
321	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	54	$37,798	$13,297†	+$325K
322	The University of Tampa	FL	53	$54,284	$36,211	+$398K
323	Moravian University	PA	53	$53,999	$30,670	+$417K
324	Reed College	OR	53	$53,110	$33,013	+$399K
325	Emmanuel College	MA	53	$51,698	$26,706	+$410K
326	University of Northern Colorado	CO	53	$45,257	$17,760†	+$382K
327	SUNY at Purchase College	NY	53	$34,297	$18,913†	+$267K
328	State University of New York at Oswego	NY	53	$31,597	$16,236†	+$251K
329	Lewis & Clark College	OR	52	$49,576	$36,013	+$352K
330	Goucher College	MD	52	$46,774	$22,470	+$378K
331	Boise State University	ID	52	$46,137	$21,610†	+$375K
332	University of Vermont	VT	52	$38,452	$19,343†	+$307K
333	Rollins College	FL	52	$36,115	$34,732	+$222K
334	Appalachian State University	NC	52	$33,742	$16,836†	+$270K
335	Bryant University	RI	51	$52,020	$41,219	+$355K
336	Texas State University	TX	51	$43,064	$16,805†	+$363K
337	University of Miami	FL	51	$42,129	$37,244	+$272K
338	DePaul University	IL	51	$37,151	$30,902	+$248K
339	University of Hawaii at Manoa	HI	51	$35,041	$15,664†	+$288K
340	Clark University	MA	51	$34,023	$28,714	+$225K
341	Quinnipiac University	CT	50	$48,340	$40,675	+$321K
342	Pacific Lutheran University	WA	50	$43,806	$19,589	+$360K
343	University of Central Arkansas	AR	50	$41,919	$16,511†	+$353K
344	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	50	$32,877	$3,967†	+$313K
345	Kalamazoo College	MI	49	$42,508	$19,072	+$349K
346	Coe College	IA	49	$42,311	$18,745	+$348K
347	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	MA	49	$41,910	$17,163†	+$350K
348	Austin College	TX	49	$33,957	$21,107	+$255K
349	Calvin University	MI	47	$43,746	$22,992	+$345K
350	Montclair State University	NJ	47	$39,375	$15,566†	+$331K
351	Seattle Pacific University	WA	46	$41,502	$24,488	+$317K
352	University of North Carolina Asheville	NC	45	$28,301	$12,250†	+$234K
353	University of Dayton	OH	42	$34,671	$29,533	+$229K
354	Knox College	IL	42	$23,222	$24,595	+$134K
355	Carthage College	WI	39	$36,493	$26,565	+$259K
356	Eastern Michigan University	MI	34	$30,569	$15,407†	+$244K
357	Winston-Salem State University	NC	32	$25,653	$13,479†	+$203K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

Harvard takes the #1 spot because its economics department operates as a high-speed rail line directly to Wall Street and elite management consulting. Firms like Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Bridgewater Associates actively recruit Harvard undergrads, knowing they have survived a rigorous, highly quantitative curriculum while building an unmatched peer network. The university's famously generous financial aid for low-to-middle-income students also keeps the net price artificially low, catapulting its return on investment.

But the most striking takeaway from this ranking isn't the Ivy League—it is the absolute dominance of elite liberal arts colleges. Amherst (#5), Williams (#8), Claremont McKenna (#10), and a slew of NESCAC schools like Colby, Bowdoin, and Middlebury crowd the top 20. To an outsider, a small college in the woods of Maine or Massachusetts might not scream "global finance." But inside the industry, these schools are notorious target campuses. Their economics programs are grueling, and their alumni networks on Wall Street are fiercely loyal, actively pulling younger graduates into lucrative analyst roles. Claremont McKenna, in particular, was practically built to funnel students into finance and corporate strategy, boasting specialized research institutes that give undergrads MBA-level financial modeling experience.

You will also notice the University of Chicago sitting comfortably at #3. UChicago economics is a brand unto itself—famous for a fiercely theoretical, math-heavy approach that makes its graduates highly prized by quantitative hedge funds. Meanwhile, the only public universities to crack the top 25 are UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan. Both are massive, highly selective public research powerhouses with legendary alumni networks, proving you don't need a private school price tag to access top-tier employer pipelines.

What is Economics?

Economics is the study of how individuals, corporations, and governments allocate scarce resources to maximize value. Day-to-day, graduates are typically buried in statistical software and spreadsheets—building complex financial models, forecasting market trends, or analyzing how a shift in interest rates will impact a company's bottom line.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be good at math to major in economics?

Yes. While introductory courses focus on theory and concepts, upper-level economics is heavily quantitative. You will spend a significant amount of time studying econometrics, statistics, and calculus. Employers value economics majors precisely because they have the mathematical chops to handle complex data sets and statistical modeling.

Is economics better than a finance or business degree?

At the elite level, yes. Many of the top universities on this list—including Harvard, Stanford, and UChicago—do not even offer an undergraduate business degree. Top-tier employers in investment banking and strategy consulting often prefer economics majors because the coursework is viewed as more intellectually rigorous and theoretical than a standard business administration curriculum.

Will I actually work as an "economist"?

Probably not. The vast majority of undergraduate economics majors become financial analysts, consultants, data scientists, or corporate strategists. If your goal is to work as a literal economist for the Federal Reserve, a major think tank, or in academia, you will almost certainly need to pursue a Ph.D.