2023 Best Value Colleges for Economics in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
89
Ranked Colleges
6,166
Degrees Awarded
$15,300
Avg Net Price*
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 Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Southeast region, there were 6,166 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,738 and $21,917 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 89 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region economics students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Out of the 89 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 419 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for southeast region economics students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Economics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. 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.
In addition to being on our southeast region economics students with aid list, UF has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
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 1.7% 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 University of Florida Economics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 528 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $22,006 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Economics at University of Virginia - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 256 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $32,459 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at Duke University
Out of the 89 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 295 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Florida State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,946 for southeast region economics students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at Florida State University
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 195 students in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $8,346 for southeast region economics students with aid per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.
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 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 full report on Economics at University of South Florida - Main Campus
Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 272 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $19,970 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.
Read more about Economics at Vanderbilt University
Florida International University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 160 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,298 for southeast region economics students with aid per year to attend FIU.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full Florida International University Economics Report
Virginia Tech came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 102 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,301 for southeast region economics students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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.
Read full report on Economics at Virginia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Georgia Tech is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 77 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech also took the #14 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,974 for southeast region economics students with aid.
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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Economics at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
William & Mary ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 127 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $19,593 for southeast region economics students with aid per year to attend William & Mary.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 William & Mary
Appalachian State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 38 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,989 for southeast region economics students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Economics at Appalachian State University
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,411 for southeast region economics students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full North Carolina State University Economics Report
Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 71 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,735 for southeast region economics students with aid per year to attend FAU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full FAU Economics Report
With a ranking of #15, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Georgia State University is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 166 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,242 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid per year to attend Georgia State University.
Read full report on Economics at Georgia State University
The University of West Florida landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 11 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,089 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
Read full report on Economics at UWF
With a ranking of #17, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $8,618 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
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 3.7% 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 UCF Economics Report
East Carolina University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. East Carolina University is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 101 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $16,550 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
Read full report on Economics at East Carolina University
Emory University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Emory University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 167 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Emory also took the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $22,597 for southeast region economics students with aid.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Emory University Economics Report
Western Kentucky University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bowling Green, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,522 for southeast region economics students with aid per year to attend WKU.
Read full report on Economics at WKU
University of Georgia ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 81 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $14,257 for southeast region economics students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UGA Economics Report
University of North Florida came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 19 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UNF is $8,865 for Southeast Region Economics students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 University of North Florida
Virginia Military Institute came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. VMI is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Military Institute is $22,025 for southeast region economics students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at Virginia Military Institute
University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 46 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $17,634 for southeast region economics students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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 North Carolina at Charlotte
James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. JMU is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 57 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $22,562 for southeast region economics students with aid per year to attend JMU.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 JMU
