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2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

201 Ranked Colleges
4,493 Degrees Awarded
$48,300 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 4,493 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 201 colleges that offer a degree in economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great economics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 201 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 91 degrees to qualified masters’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke University are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Economics at Duke University

#2

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 72 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Yale Economics Report

#3

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 201 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #3 spot on the list. Williams is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Williams are $59,350, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at Williams College

#3

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 201 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #3 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 278 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Johns Hopkins University Economics Report

#5

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 201 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #5 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654.

Read more about Economics at Harvard

#6

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760.

Read full report on Economics at UPenn

#7

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at Northwestern University

#8

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#13 in overall quality

Stanford University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Economics at Stanford University

#9

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 59 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Economics at UChicago

#10

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#17 in overall quality

Princeton University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 28 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #17 spot in our “Best Economics Master’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 Economics Report

#11

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at Brown

#12

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#10 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Master’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.

Full Vanderbilt Economics Report

#13

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#23 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Master’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

#14

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 115 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Georgetown also made our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown are $53,591, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Economics at Georgetown

#15

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.

Read more about Economics at U-M

#16

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 27 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Economics at Cornell University

#17

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#18 in overall quality

Rice University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 12 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also took the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice are $47,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at Rice

#18

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 21 masters’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 UF are $30,130.

Read full report on Economics at UF

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 156 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UW - Madison Economics Report

#20

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 25% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Economics Report

#21

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
Top 20% in overall quality

Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified masters’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Tufts excels when it comes to economics quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts are $55,168, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at Tufts University

#22

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified masters’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Economics Master’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 more about Economics at University of Notre Dame

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Read full report on Economics at UIUC

#5 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 128 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Economics at Columbia

#25

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 59 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMCP is also in the top of our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Economics at UMCP

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#27

Hunter College

New York, New York
#30

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#31

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

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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