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2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

542 Ranked Colleges
26,628 Degrees Awarded
$10,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Economics is the 22nd most popular major in the country with 31,150 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 26,628 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 542 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general economics programs, but they also cost less that 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.

More Ways to Rank General Economics Schools

The general economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (With Aid)

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 409 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,352 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 319 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $6,302 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Florida General Economics Report

#3

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Baruch is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $3,562 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about General Economics at Baruch College

Top 10% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 312 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#5

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 143 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at Hunter

#6

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 378 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,067 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full QC General Economics Report

John Jay College of Criminal Justice ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,532 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Read full report on General Economics at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 436 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Economics Report

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,768 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at California State University - Los Angeles

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 566 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

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 student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 full report on General Economics at UW - Madison

#11

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Economics Report

#12

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 84 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend CCNY.

Full CCNY General Economics Report

#13

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 586 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Economics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#14

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#5 in overall quality

Rice University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 57 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $16,999 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive 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 low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 full report on General Economics at Rice

Top 10% in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 216 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Economics at BYU

#16

York College

Jamaica, New York

York College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Jamaica, New York, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for York is $3,433 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Read more about General Economics at York

#17

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 511 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $20,397 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Virginia

#18

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #18, Lehman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Lehman is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 22 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $1,814 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Read full report on General Economics at Lehman

With a ranking of #19, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 full report on General Economics at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Top 15% in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 349 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Irvine also did well on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at UC Irvine

#25 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 450 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,023 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at The University of Texas at Austin

#22

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 180 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $25,802 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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.

Read more about General Economics at University of Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 51 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,991 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at Cal State Fullerton

#24

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 279 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Economics at Florida State University

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fresno State General Economics Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

#26

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#30

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#31

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#32

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#35

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#38

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York
#41

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#42

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#44

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#45

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#47

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#48

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

Rank College Location
51 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
52 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
53 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
54 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
54 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
56 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
57 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
58 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
59 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
60 Utah State University Logan, UT
61 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
62 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
63 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
64 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
65 Iowa State University Ames, IA
Rank College Location
66 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
67 University of Georgia Athens, GA
68 University of Houston Houston, TX
69 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
70 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
71 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
72 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
73 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
74 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
75 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
76 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
76 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
78 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
79 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
80 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
81 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
82 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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