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2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

111 Ranked Colleges
5,653 Degrees Awarded
$6,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Economics is the 18th most popular major in the country with 48,831 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 6,333 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,967 and $22,425 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,653 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 111 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent economics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

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 “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 219 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $-7,808 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke University. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Economics at Duke University

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 257 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt also took the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Vanderbilt Economics Report

#3

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington and Lee University landed the #3 spot on the list. Washington and Lee University is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Washington and Lee has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $1,612 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington and Lee.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Washington and Lee

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 319 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $1,994 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 full report on Economics at University of Florida

#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 409 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,026 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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

Full UNC Chapel Hill Economics Report

#6

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,711 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national 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 William & Mary Economics Report

#7

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State University 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 our southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Florida State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $5,360 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Florida State University

#8

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 128 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $11,468 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Economics at Emory University

#9

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With a ranking of #9, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 139 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University also took the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $5,250 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Economics at Wake Forest University

#10

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $9,112 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Richmond

#8 in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,162 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Georgia Tech Economics Report

Florida International University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 124 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,002 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FIU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Economics at Florida International University

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $3,950 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at USF Tampa

#14

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 511 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,882 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#15

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Central Florida is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,211 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, 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 92%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Central Florida

#16

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $7,541 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 94%.

Read more about Economics at UGA

#17

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. The University of West Florida is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 5 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,140 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Read more about Economics at The University of West Florida

#18

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia

Virginia Military Institute came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

VMI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Military Institute is $8,789 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full VMI Economics Report

#19

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,097 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Florida.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at UNF

#20

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 41 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $7,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Economics at Appalachian State University

#21

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 116 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,138 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

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%. 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 Virginia Tech Economics Report

#22

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. FAU is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 40 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FAU is $6,085 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Florida Atlantic University Economics Report

#23

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Mississippi is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $9,455 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Economics at Ole Miss

#24

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fort Myers, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $7,824 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full FGCU Economics Report

#25

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tulane University of Louisiana is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tulane has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tulane is $23,968 for southeast region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Economics at Tulane University of Louisiana

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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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