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2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

427 Ranked Colleges
28,837 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

General Economics is the 29th most popular major in the country with 28,837 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 427 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general economics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general economics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Economics (Income $48-$75k)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 36 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best General Economics Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $8,106 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Columbia General Economics Report

2
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 89 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $6,152 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Economics at Rice University

3
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 21 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $7,694 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt General Economics Report

4
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best General Economics Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $8,457 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Johns Hopkins General Economics Report

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 25 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $12,020 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Pennsylvania

6
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Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia

With a ranking of #6, Washington and Lee University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

Washington and Lee excels when it comes to general economics quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee is $6,505 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Washington and Lee University General Economics Report

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 646 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,481 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Economics Report

8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 362 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,619 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Economics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

9
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 24 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $9,785 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornell.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Economics at Cornell University

10
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $8,149 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WUSTL.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Washington University in St Louis General Economics Report

11
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 330 diplomas to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,394 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UF.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Economics at UF

12
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, Haverford College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

Haverford also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $17,402 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Haverford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Economics at Haverford

13
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Georgetown is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 158 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgetown also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,505 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgetown.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Economics at Georgetown

14

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 624 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $10,364 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about General Economics at UW - Madison

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 154 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $12,911 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Economics at UMN Twin Cities

16
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 528 degrees to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $16,019 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Virginia

17
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wake Forest University is also in the top of our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,228 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Wake Forest University

18

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 352 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,505 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at UIUC

19
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

With a ranking of #19, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 389 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $7,582 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at Queens College

20

University of California - Irvine came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 394 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $13,275 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UC Irvine General Economics Report

21
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 271 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It costs about $11,506 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at Florida State

22
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 127 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, William & Mary is in the top on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $10,995 for general economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full William & Mary General Economics Report

23
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

Boston College also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,098 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Boston College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Boston College General Economics Report

24
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Hamilton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

Colgate also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colgate is $17,557 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Economics at Colgate

25
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 60 degrees to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Swarthmore also did well on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore is $11,521 for General Economics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Swarthmore General Economics Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
27
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
28
29
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Hunter College
New York, New York
30
31
32
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Baruch College
New York, New York
33
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
34
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
35
36
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin
37
38
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The City College of New York
New York, New York
38
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut
40
41
42
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Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
43
44
45
46
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Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California
47
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
48
48
50
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Economics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
52 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
52 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO
54 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
55 University of Houston Houston, TX
56 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
57 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
58 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
59 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
60 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
61 Iowa State University Ames, IA
62 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
63 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
64 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
65 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
Rank College Location

Notes and References

References

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