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2025 Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region

23 Colleges in the Southwest Region
2,794 Economics Degrees Awarded
$55,327 Avg Early-Career Salary
Economics is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #19 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for economics students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,794 degrees in economics to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Economics School

Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region Your choice of economics school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for economics schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Economics Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Economics
Master's Degrees in Economics
Doctor's Degrees in Economics

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Economics Schools in the Southwest Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Economics in the Southwest Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the economics degree levels they offer.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools in Economics

1
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Economics Degrees Awarded
$78,814 Median Starting Salary

Rice University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in economics. Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #48 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were approximately 113 economics students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Rice University receive $23,487 more than the average economics graduate.

More information about a degree in economics from Rice University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
395 Economics Degrees Awarded
2.0% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Texas A&M University - College Station if you want to pursue a degree in economics. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were about 395 economics students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the economics program earn an average of $51,875 for their early career.

More information about a degree in economics from Texas A&M University - College Station

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MS in Applied Economics Program Name

If you're the kind of person who enjoys working with numbers and solving tough problems, a graduate degree in economics may be for you.

More information about a degree in MS in Applied Economics from Southern New Hampshire University
3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
179 Economics Degrees Awarded
$71,630 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Southern Methodist University if you want to pursue a degree in economics. Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #142 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 179 economics students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from Southern Methodist University earn $16,303 more than the standard economics student.

More information about a degree in economics from Southern Methodist University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
408 Economics Degrees Awarded
$59,693 Median Starting Salary

The University of Texas at Austin is a good choice for students interested in a degree in economics. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 408 economics students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Those economics students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin earn $4,366 more than the typical economics graduate.

More information about a degree in economics from The University of Texas at Austin

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Economics Degrees Awarded
$47,908 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #110 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Arizona is a great university overall.

There were roughly 169 economics students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the economics program make an average of $47,908 for their early career.

More information about a degree in economics from University of Arizona

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
210 Economics Degrees Awarded
$54,778 Median Starting Salary

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #108 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were approximately 210 economics students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the economics program make an average of $54,778 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in economics from Arizona State University - Tempe

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Economics Degrees Awarded
12.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #112 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 111 economics students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, economics degree recipients typically make around $54,462 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in economics from Texas Christian University

8
Trinity U crest
Trinity University
San Antonio, TX
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In TX
38 Economics Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of San Antonio, Trinity U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 38 economics students who graduated with this degree at Trinity U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in economics from Trinity University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Economics Degrees Awarded
$47,034 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Richardson, UT Dallas is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #209 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Dallas is a great university overall.

There were roughly 68 economics students who graduated with this degree at UT Dallas in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the economics program make around $47,034 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in economics from The University of Texas at Dallas

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Economics Degrees Awarded
$44,292 Median Starting Salary

Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the large city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were approximately 73 economics students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the economics program make an average of $44,292 for their early career.

More information about a degree in economics from Texas Tech University

Best Economics Colleges by State

Explore the best economics colleges for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 2,206
Arizona 287 504
Oklahoma 257 145
New Mexico 219 76

View All Rankings >

Economics is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Economics Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Economics 2,264
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics 438
Applied Economics 38
International Economics 26
Development Economics & International Development 18
Other Economics 10

View All Economics Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 4,071
Sociology 2,754
Anthropology 1,061
Geography & Cartography 1,054
General Social Sciences 833
International Relations & National Security 809
Other Social Sciences 62
Urban Studies 52
Archeology 10
Demography & Population Studies 8

View All Economics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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