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2025 Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region

68 Colleges in the Far Western US Region
12,012 Economics Degrees Awarded
$55,327 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in economics, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #19 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.

College Factual looked at 68 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 12,012 degrees in economics annually.

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

Choosing a Great Economics School

Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region 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. For our Best Overall Economics School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Economics in the Far Western US Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the economics degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

13 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Economics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
830 Economics Degrees Awarded
2.7% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in economics needs to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly 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. Economics degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of about $25,119 over the typical income of economics graduates.

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

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
149 Economics Degrees Awarded
22.1% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Stanford University if you want to pursue a degree in economics. 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 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 149 economics students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Economics degree recipients from Stanford University get an earnings boost of around $42,777 over the typical earnings of economics graduates.

More information about a degree in economics from Stanford 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
1,052 Economics Degrees Awarded
15.0% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in economics needs to check out University of California - Los Angeles. UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1052 economics students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Economics degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles get an earnings boost of about $6,764 over the typical income of economics majors.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
679 Economics Degrees Awarded
$66,334 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Santa Barbara is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in economics. UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were roughly 679 economics students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Economics degree recipients from University of California - Santa Barbara get an earnings boost of approximately $11,007 over the average earnings of economics graduates.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Economics Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Claremont. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.

There were approximately 129 economics students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Claremont McKenna College earn $34,178 more than the standard economics grad.

More information about a degree in economics from Claremont McKenna College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
377 Economics Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 377 economics students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the economics program report average early career wages of $57,060.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Southern California

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
614 Economics Degrees Awarded
$50,295 Median Starting Salary

UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were approximately 614 economics students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the economics program report average early career income of $50,295.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
455 Economics Degrees Awarded
$51,192 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 455 economics students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the economics program make about $51,192 for their early career.

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

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
482 Economics Degrees Awarded
$44,087 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were about 482 economics students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the economics program state that they receive average early career earnings of $44,087.

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

10
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 Economics Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were about 108 economics students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the economics major at Santa Clara University earn $21,279 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in economics from Santa Clara University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
355 Economics Degrees Awarded
13.0% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were about 355 economics students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, economics degree recipients usually earn around $53,934 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
341 Economics Degrees Awarded
$37,149 Median Starting Salary

UCR is a fairly large public university located in the city of Riverside. This university ranks 28th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 341 economics students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the economics program earn around $37,149 in the first couple years of working.

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

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
199 Economics Degrees Awarded
$50,518 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were about 199 economics students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, economics degree recipients typically earn about $50,518 in their early careers.

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

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

Rank College Location
14 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
15 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
16 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
17 Washington State University Pullman, WA
18 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
19 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
20 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
21 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
22 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA

Best Economics Colleges by State

Explore the best economics colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
California 330 10,509
Washington 300 713
Oregon 266 590
Nevada 192 147
Hawaii 164 92
Alaska 119 17

View All Rankings >

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

Economics Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Economics 6,063
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics 5,679
Development Economics & International Development 128
Other Economics 78
Applied Economics 39
International Economics 25

View All Economics Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Economics

Related Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 15,078
Political Science & Government 9,771
General Social Sciences 9,542
Anthropology 3,312
Geography & Cartography 1,818
International Relations & National Security 1,575
Other Social Sciences 477
Urban Studies 453
Archeology 72
Sociology & Anthropology 56

View All Economics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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