by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 7 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 186 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 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.
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 schools 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 the Southeast Region 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.
It's hard to beat Duke University if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in economics. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from Duke University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in economics. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Virginia Tech is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in economics. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from Virginia Tech
It's difficult to beat George Mason University if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in economics. GMU is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax.
Doctorate students who receive their degree from the economics program earn about $87,415 in their early career salary.
More information about a doctorate in economics from George Mason University
Located in the medium-sized city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from University of Georgia
NC State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Raleigh.More information about a doctorate in economics from North Carolina State University
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in economics from Georgia State University
Explore the best economics schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 138 | 7 |
| Virginia | 127 | 37 |
| Georgia | 126 | 20 |
| North Carolina | 115 | 39 |
| Mississippi | 113 | 11 |
| Louisiana | 103 | 7 |
| Tennessee | 102 | 15 |
| Alabama | 98 | 3 |
| South Carolina | 91 | 13 |
| Kentucky | 87 | 3 |
| Arkansas | 58 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 49 | 8 |
Economics is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Econometrics & Quantitative Economics | 128 |
| General Economics | 48 |
| Applied Economics | 7 |
| Development Economics & International Development | 3 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Sociology | 109 |
| Political Science & Government | 109 |
| Anthropology | 82 |
| Geography & Cartography | 62 |
| International Relations & National Security | 31 |
| Urban Studies | 18 |
| General Social Sciences | 4 |
| Other Social Sciences | 3 |