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2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

119 Ranked Colleges
1,219 Degrees Awarded
$46,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Doctorate 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,219 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 119 colleges that offered a degree in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs that also have a lower cost than 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 economics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 18 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke also made our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Duke Economics Report

#2

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 119 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #2 spot on the list. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Yale also made our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at Yale

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 17 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UPenn Economics Report

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 119 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northwestern University Economics Report

#5

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Economics at Stanford

#6

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

Harvard University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 39 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.

Full Harvard University Economics Report

#7

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at University of Chicago

#8

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#11 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also took the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at Johns Hopkins

#9

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#18 in overall quality

Princeton University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470.

Full Princeton University Economics Report

#10

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown University is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 15 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Economics at Brown University

#11

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#17 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 10 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at WUSTL

#12

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Economics at U-M

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#9 in overall quality

Cornell University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at Cornell

#14

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#13 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 3 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624.

Read more about Economics at Vanderbilt

#15

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Rice University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice University is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice are $47,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at Rice

#16

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #25 spot in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown are $53,591, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at Georgetown

#17

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Economics at UF

#22 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at UW - Madison

#19

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at UNC Chapel Hill

With a ranking of #20, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Read more about Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 29 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Economics at Columbia

#22

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Economics at University of Notre Dame

#23

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 28 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Economics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UC Berkeley Economics Report

#24

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 17 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UMCP Economics Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 11 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at UW Seattle

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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