by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 4,686 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking looked at 236 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in economics.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree economics students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pardee RAND Graduate School. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major. Pardee RAND Graduate School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Monica, California. It awarded 20 masters’s economics degrees 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 Brandeis University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Brandeis University is a medium-sized school located in Waltham, Massachusetts that handed out 64 masters’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Out of the 236 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified masters’s economics students 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 310 masters’s 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 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 96%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major. Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management is located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Economics at AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management
With a ranking of #6, Andrews University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Andrews University is located in Berrien Springs, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Drew University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Drew University is located in Madison, New Jersey and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #8, Teachers College at Columbia University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Teachers College is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 11 masters’s economics degrees 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at Teachers College at Columbia University
Claremont Graduate University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 16 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #10. Colorado School of Mines is a public institution located in Golden, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Georgetown University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, Boston College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 82 masters’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Gallaudet University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Princeton University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #14. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 20 masters’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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.
Boston University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 masters’s 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 139 masters’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 Wisconsin - Madison
With a ranking of #17, Duke University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified masters’s economics students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. The Graduate Center is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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. 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%.
Rice University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 27 masters’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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Detroit Mercy did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified masters’s economics students in 2021-2022.
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%.
With a ranking of #21, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. California Lutheran University is located in Thousand Oaks, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 full report on Economics at California Lutheran University
With a ranking of #22, Bard College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s economics students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 0.6%, 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 87%.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #23. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 77 masters’s economics degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Vanderbilt University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s economics students in 2021-2022.
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%. 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 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 27 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Read more about our data sources and methodologies