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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

28 Ranked Colleges
2,397 Degrees Awarded
$13,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 2,902 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,669 and $20,712 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,397 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 28 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region 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 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 Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $7,534 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rice University Economics Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $3,473 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UT Rio Grande Valley

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,082 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Texas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full UNT Economics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 276 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $13,270 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Texas A&M College Station Economics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 450 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,575 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Austin.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at The University of Texas at Austin

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 273 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,921 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full ASU - Tempe Economics Report

#7

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 241 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $11,466 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Arizona

#8

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #8, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 166 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $9,925 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at University of Houston

#14 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,962 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Economics at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

#10

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas

Trinity University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Trinity U has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity University is $12,991 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Trinity U

#11

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #11, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $13,326 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Texas Tech University

With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UT Dallas also took the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Dallas is $11,745 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Full UT Dallas Economics Report

#13

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #13, Texas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas State University is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $12,292 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Texas State University Economics Report

#13

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#16 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Skysong is $12,020 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full ASU - Skysong Economics Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $7,006 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Economics at NMSU Main Campus

Stephen F Austin State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Nacogdoches, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SFASU is $10,816 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Economics at Stephen F Austin State University

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 41 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Arlington has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Arlington is $12,974 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UT Arlington Economics Report

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 83 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $17,285 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Economics at University of Oklahoma

#18

Austin College

Sherman, Texas

Austin College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Sherman, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Austin College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Austin College is $17,848 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Austin College

#24 in overall quality

University of Central Oklahoma landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCO is a fairly large school located in Edmond, Oklahoma that handed out 4 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCO also took the #24 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCO is $13,381 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Economics at University of Central Oklahoma

#20

Texas Lutheran University

Seguin, Texas
#15 in overall quality

Texas Lutheran University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas Lutheran University is located in Seguin, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

TLU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TLU is $16,388 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Texas Lutheran University Economics Report

#21

University of Dallas

Irving, Texas

University of Dallas ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Irving, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UD has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UD is $15,640 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Dallas

#22

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNM is $14,458 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UNM Economics Report

#23

St. Mary's University

San Antonio, Texas
#23 in overall quality

St. Mary’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. St. Mary’s is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 4 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Mary’s also took the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Mary’s is $17,581 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full St. Mary’s University Economics Report

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 165 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SMU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SMU is $27,331 for southwest region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at SMU

#25

Southwestern University

Georgetown, Texas
#13 in overall quality

Southwestern University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Georgetown, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Southwestern also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $21,578 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southwestern.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Economics at Southwestern University

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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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