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2023 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

71 Ranked Colleges
12,085 Degrees Awarded
$7,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 12,085 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,136 and $18,615 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 71 colleges that offer a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Stanford

2
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Claremont McKenna College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 116 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Claremont McKenna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $5,387 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Claremont McKenna College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad 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%.

Full Claremont McKenna College Economics Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 808 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at University of California - Berkeley

4

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 884 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 96%.

Read more about Economics at University of California - Los Angeles

5
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Pomona College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $8,629 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Economics at Pomona College

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 309 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Economics Report

7

University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 480 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,823 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Economics at University of California - San Diego

8

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 723 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $10,568 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UCSB

9

University of California - Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 490 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UC Irvine

10

University of California - Davis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 661 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,006 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Economics Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 375 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Economics Report

12
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #12, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 357 students in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,287 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Economics at USC

13

California State University - Fullerton came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Cal State Fullerton

14

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 26 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,859 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Economics Report

15
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 259 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $7,169 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at San Diego State University

16

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 31 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,887 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Cal State LA Economics Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 219 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #14 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,038 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at University of California - Santa Cruz

18
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wazzu is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Wazzu also took the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $7,689 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 more about Economics at Washington State University

19

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,163 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Economics Report

20

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 84 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 more about Economics at California State University - Long Beach

21
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 21 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend SRJC is $5,728 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Santa Rosa Junior College Economics Report

22

California State University - Northridge came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 95 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,266 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Economics Report

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $4,122 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Stan State

24

With a ranking of #24, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 46 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $9,975 for Far Western US Region Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Cal State East Bay

25
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UO is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 265 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UO has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $13,666 for far western us region economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at University of Oregon

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