Best Economics Programs 2026
Best economics programs ranked by salary outcomes. See which schools produce the highest-earning econ graduates.
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| Rank | Program | School | State | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Value Score | Break-Even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economics | University of Chicago | IL | $82,564 | $18,967/yr | 99/100 | 1.5 yr |
| 2 | Economics | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $71,330 | $13,481/yr | 97/100 | 1.4 yr |
| 3 | Economics | Georgetown University | DC | $68,490 | $40,815/yr | 84/100 | 4.4 yr |
| 4 | Business/Managerial Economics | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $65,881 | $12,548/yr | 95/100 | 1.5 yr |
| 5 | Economics | Boston College | MA | $64,785 | $41,704/yr | 78/100 | 5 yr |
| 6 | Economics | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | $59,465 | $13,825/yr | 91/100 | 2 yr |
| 7 | Economics | George Washington University | DC | $57,078 | $37,454/yr | 72/100 | 5.8 yr |
| 8 | Economics | Emory University | GA | $55,058 | $23,911/yr | 87/100 | 4.1 yr |
| 9 | Economics | University of Southern California | CA | $54,837 | $31,927/yr | 78/100 | 5.4 yr |
| 10 | Economics | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $52,741 | $12,548/yr | 88/100 | 2.4 yr |
| 11 | Business/Managerial Economics | University of Georgia | GA | $51,322 | $13,816/yr | 86/100 | 2.9 yr |
| 12 | Economics | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $50,663 | $15,342/yr | 85/100 | 3.3 yr |
| 13 | Economics | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $50,008 | $15,201/yr | 85/100 | 3.4 yr |
| 14 | Economics | Iowa State University | IA | $49,423 | $18,165/yr | 82/100 | 4.2 yr |
| 15 | Business/Managerial Economics | University of Arizona | AZ | $48,350 | $15,960/yr | 80/100 | 3.9 yr |
| 16 | Economics | University of Georgia | GA | $47,719 | $13,816/yr | 84/100 | 3.5 yr |
| 17 | Economics | University of Florida | FL | $45,380 | $6,351/yr | 86/100 | 2 yr |
| 18 | Business/Managerial Economics | The University of Alabama | AL | $44,909 | $22,150/yr | 76/100 | 6.5 yr |
| 19 | Economics | University of Arizona | AZ | $44,659 | $15,960/yr | 77/100 | 4.8 yr |
| 20 | Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | University of Georgia | GA | $41,613 | $13,816/yr | 79/100 | 5.3 yr |
| 21 | Economics | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | $40,619 | $43,939/yr | 33/100 | 17.3 yr |
| 22 | Economics | Florida State University | FL | $39,699 | $10,997/yr | 77/100 | 5.2 yr |
| 23 | Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | The University of Alabama | AL | $39,629 | $22,150/yr | 64/100 | 10.1 yr |
| 24 | Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | Iowa State University | IA | $37,468 | $18,165/yr | 67/100 | 10.8 yr |
Economics
99/100University of Chicago · Chicago, IL
Economics
97/100PublicUniversity of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA
Economics
84/100Georgetown University · Washington, DC
Business/Managerial Economics
95/100PublicUniversity of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA
Economics
78/100Boston College · Chestnut Hill, MA
Economics
91/100PublicUniversity of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA
Economics
72/100George Washington University · Washington, DC
Economics
87/100Emory University · Atlanta, GA
Economics
78/100University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA
Economics
88/100PublicUniversity of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA
Business/Managerial Economics
86/100PublicUniversity of Georgia · Athens, GA
Economics
85/100PublicIndiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN
Economics
85/100PublicUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL
Economics
82/100PublicIowa State University · Ames, IA
Business/Managerial Economics
80/100PublicUniversity of Arizona · Tucson, AZ
Economics
84/100PublicUniversity of Georgia · Athens, GA
Economics
86/100PublicUniversity of Florida · Gainesville, FL
Business/Managerial Economics
76/100PublicThe University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL
Economics
77/100PublicUniversity of Arizona · Tucson, AZ
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
79/100PublicUniversity of Georgia · Athens, GA
Economics
33/100Tulane University of Louisiana · New Orleans, LA
Economics
77/100PublicFlorida State University · Tallahassee, FL
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
64/100PublicThe University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
67/100PublicIowa State University · Ames, IA
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Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Programs are ranked by median earnings 1 year after completion. Data reflects bachelor's degree programs only.