by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for economics students pursuing a doctor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 220 doctor's degrees in economics during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
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. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good 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.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for economics students working on their doctor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in economics.
Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in economics. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a doctorate in economics from Stanford University
University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in economics. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - Berkeley
It is difficult to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in economics. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - Santa Barbara
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in economics. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of Southern California
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - Davis
UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - San Diego
UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - Irvine
Explore all the Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 122 | 26 |
| Oregon | 107 | 14 |
| Nevada | 84 | 2 |
| Hawaii | 53 | 5 |
Economics is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Econometrics & Quantitative Economics | 216 |
| General Economics | 4 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 119 |
| Sociology | 94 |
| Anthropology | 54 |
| Geography & Cartography | 42 |
| Urban Studies | 7 |
| International Relations & National Security | 6 |
| General Social Sciences | 4 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 3 |
| Other Social Sciences | 3 |
| Archeology | 2 |