2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
496
Ranked Colleges
49,055
Degrees Awarded
$4,100
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 496 colleges that offer a degree in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Economics Schools
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 For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k)
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 Those Making $30-$48k. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 256 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also made our “Best Economics Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $-927 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k. 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 Duke University
Out of the 496 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 267 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard also took the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $1,396 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Economics at Harvard University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 626 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Economics Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at UChicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 247 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Yale has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $3,083 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Yale Economics Report
Out of the 496 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 116 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Economics Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,581 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Stanford Economics Report
Northwestern University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 402 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $917 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%.
Read more about Economics at Northwestern
Williams College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $5,480 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Economics at Williams College
Princeton University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 140 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Princeton has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $4,502 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at Princeton
University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 273 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
UPenn also took the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Economics at University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #10, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 458 students in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #13 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national 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. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Economics at Columbia
Vanderbilt University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 272 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Economics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 0.9% 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
Dartmouth College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 174 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dartmouth has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth is $8,718 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Economics at Dartmouth
Brown University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 214 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown University is $2,842 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Brown Economics Report
Claremont McKenna College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 116 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Claremont McKenna, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,693 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k 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%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Economics at Claremont McKenna
With a ranking of #15, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 417 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Economics Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $4,859 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about Economics at Johns Hopkins University
Rice University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 132 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Economics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $1,340 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at Rice University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 728 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Economics Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $5,670 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Economics Report
Washington and Lee University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Washington and Lee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Washington and Lee is also in the top of our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee is $850 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%.
Full Washington and Lee Economics Report
Cornell University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 237 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,133 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read full report on Economics at Cornell University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 419 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Economics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Economics Schools” list. It costs about $5,729 for economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Economics Report
With a ranking of #21, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.
WUSTL also took the #25 spot in our “Best Economics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full WUSTL Economics Report
Amherst College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Amherst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 37 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Amherst also claimed a top spot on our “Best Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,459 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Amherst.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Economics at Amherst
Wellesley College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Wellesley also did well on our “Best Economics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Economics Schools” list. It costs about $8,021 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wellesley College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Economics at Wellesley College
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 808 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Economics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 full report on Economics at UC Berkeley
With a ranking of #25, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 330 students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Economics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $2,857 for Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at UF
