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2025 Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools

49 Colleges in the United States
1,395 Doctor's Degrees
$87,415 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a doctor's degree in economics, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #24 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.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 49 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,395 doctor's degrees in economics to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Economics School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools The economics doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for economics students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Economics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The 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 the Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Economics in the United States

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for economics students seeking a a doctor's degree.

10 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Economics

1
31 Annual Graduates

Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a doctor's degree in economics. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a doctorate in economics from Northwestern University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
22 Annual Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is a good decision for students interested in a doctor's degree in economics. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of Pennsylvania

3
36 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in economics. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from Columbia University in the City of New York

4
34 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in economics has to look into University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of Chicago

5
26 Annual Graduates

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.More information about a doctorate in economics from Cornell University

6
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
40 Annual Graduates

Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge.More information about a doctorate in economics from Harvard University

7
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
24 Annual Graduates

Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a doctorate in economics from Stanford University

8
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from Duke University

9
30 Annual Graduates

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - Berkeley

10
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from Brown University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Economics students that almost earned our Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
11 Georgetown University Washington, DC
12 Yale University New Haven, CT

Economics by Region

View the Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Economics is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Economics Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics 1,095
General Economics 264
Applied Economics 18
Development Economics & International Development 11
Other Economics 7

Majors Similar to Economics

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 731
Sociology 607
Anthropology 503
Geography & Cartography 239
Other Social Sciences 92
International Relations & National Security 87
Urban Studies 32
General Social Sciences 22
Archeology 11
Demography & Population Studies 11

Notes and References

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