by our College Data Analytics Team
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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 47,809 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , economics graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $48,722 and had an average of $21,489 in loans still to pay off.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,395 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking looked at 135 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their economics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree economics students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pardee RAND Graduate School. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Santa Monica, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 degrees to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont Graduate University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 24 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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.
Out of the 135 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 34 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 23 degrees to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 99%.
Read full report on Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 24 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 13 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Yale University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #8. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 16 students in 2021-2022.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #9. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 40 students in 2021-2022.
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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Brown University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Teachers College at Columbia University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #11. Teachers College at Columbia University is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Vanderbilt University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 ranking of #13, Howard University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Howard is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 4 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, The New School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. New School University is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #15, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #16, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 22 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of California - Berkeley came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
Duke University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Cornell University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s economics degrees to 26 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, Colorado School of Mines did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized public school situated in Golden, Colorado. It awarded 1 doctorate’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 91%.
University of Southern Mississippi ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, this fairly large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Georgia State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
University of California - Davis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Northwestern University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified doctorate’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
With a ranking of #25, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Economics Major list. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies