by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 22 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for economics students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,940 bachelor's degrees in economics to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The economics bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for economics students working on their bachelor's degree.
The economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in economics.
Rice University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in economics. Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston.
Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Rice University earn $26,351 more than the standard economics graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Rice University
Texas A&M University - College Station is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in economics. Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the economics program earn about $49,738 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Texas A&M University - College Station
It is hard to beat Southern Methodist University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in economics. Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University make $19,167 more than the average economics graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Southern Methodist University
It's hard to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in economics. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Economics bachelor's degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin get an earnings boost of around $6,254 above the typical earnings of economics graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the economics program report average early career wages of $47,908.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Arizona
ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Tempe.
Bachelor's recipients from the economics degree program at Arizona State University - Tempe earn $2,315 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Arizona State University - Tempe
Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, economics bachelor's recipients typically earn around $54,462 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Texas Christian University
Located in the city of San Antonio, Trinity U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Trinity University receive $5,019 more than the typical economics grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Trinity University
Located in the midsize city of Richardson, UT Dallas is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the economics program make an average of $47,034 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from The University of Texas at Dallas
Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the city of Lubbock.
Soon after graduation, economics bachelor's recipients generally make an average of $44,292 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Texas Tech UniversityExplore the best economics colleges for a specific state in the Southwest Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 245 | 1,613 |
| Arizona | 200 | 448 |
| Oklahoma | 190 | 126 |
| New Mexico | 133 | 63 |
One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Economics has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Economics | 1,567 |
| Econometrics & Quantitative Economics | 334 |
| International Economics | 24 |
| Applied Economics | 6 |
| Other Economics | 5 |
| Development Economics & International Development | 4 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 3,709 |
| Sociology | 1,977 |
| Anthropology | 843 |
| Geography & Cartography | 491 |
| International Relations & National Security | 266 |
| General Social Sciences | 116 |
| Urban Studies | 26 |
| Other Social Sciences | 21 |