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2027 Best Value Applied Economics Schools in Pennsylvania

[Applied Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/applied-economics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong applied economics education at a price that pays off.

For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for applied economics students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Applied Economics Schools in Pennsylvania

2027 Best Value Applied Economics Schools in Pennsylvania

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the applied economics degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Applied Economics Schools

1

Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA

$61,061 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$73,721 Median Earnings (10yr)

Ursinus College tops our 2027 list of the best value applied economics schools in Pennsylvania. Set in the suburb of Collegeville, Ursinus College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,061. Typical student debt for applied economics graduates is $27,000. Early-career applied economics graduates make about $52,496. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.

2

Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA

$65,636 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,020 Avg Student Debt

$114,862 Median Earnings (10yr)

Carnegie Mellon University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in applied economics, landing the #2 spot this year. Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Students from in state pay about $65,636 in tuition and fees. Applied Economics graduates carry a median of $22,020 in student loans. Early-career applied economics graduates make about $89,327. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 12%.

View All Applied Economics Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.