25 Best Bachelor’s in Economics

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Key Infor­ma­tion:

  • Stan­ford Uni­ver­si­ty is the #1 top eco­nom­ics bach­e­lor’s degree.
  • Best eco­nom­ics pro­grams offer var­i­ous aca­d­e­m­ic tracks, such as finance and inter­na­tion­al policy.
  • Stu­dents are pre­pared for roles in busi­ness, gov­ern­ment, and academia.
  • Rank­ings con­sid­er fac­tors like cost, rep­u­ta­tion, and salary poten­tial to ensure job mar­ket success.

When choos­ing the best eco­nom­ics pro­gram, a per­son has to con­sid­er how well-round­ed the cur­ricu­lum is. The pro­gram should have a sol­id math foun­da­tion. Addi­tion­al­ly, when a per­son choos­es from the top under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics pro­grams, it’s impor­tant to review all the class­es a per­son has to take. The best eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate pro­grams pro­vide stu­dents with an edu­ca­tion that cov­ers the social issues asso­ci­at­ed with eco­nom­ics along with finance.

As a per­son search­es for the best eco­nom­ics pro­gram, a per­son will see that he or she can choose to earn a bach­e­lor of arts in eco­nom­ics or a bach­e­lor of arts in busi­ness admin­is­tra­tion with a con­cen­tra­tion on eco­nom­ics. Both offer top under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics pro­grams, but a per­son needs to rec­og­nize his or her career goals pri­or to mak­ing a deci­sion. For exam­ple, the best eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate for some­one who wants to go on to work with the gov­ern­ment or in law is a bachelor’s in economics.

Relat­ed: 

Methodology: Ranking the Best Economics Programs

Search­ing for the best eco­nom­ics bachelor’s degree pro­grams is no small task; there are so many pro­grams, includ­ing Ivy League, top-tier pri­vate research insti­tu­tions, and the most respect­ed pub­lic uni­ver­si­ties. But Bachelor’s Degree Cen­ter edi­tors eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate rank­ings are focused on pro­grams that will have a real impact on stu­dents’ careers. So our rank­ing is based on prac­ti­cal fac­tors that trans­late to job mar­ket suc­cess – Cost, Rep­u­ta­tion, and Salary Poten­tial. Data was gath­ered from Col­lege Score­card, IPEDS, and Niche. Only accred­it­ed, rep­utable insti­tu­tions are considered.

1. Stanford University

Stan­ford University’s School of Human­i­ties & Sci­ences offers a BA in Eco­nom­ics that is rec­og­nized among the best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams in the nation. Stanford’s top eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate pro­grams offer stu­dents sev­er­al aca­d­e­m­ic tracks:

  • Finance, Pol­i­cy, Research & Strategy
  • Behav­ioral & Experimental
  • Inter­na­tion­al Policy

Stan­ford University’s BA in Eco­nom­ics degree pro­gram requires the com­ple­tion of 80 cred­it units in eco­nom­ics, of the total cred­its need­ed to earn the under­grad­u­ate degree. Trans­fer cred­it requests.

Stan­ford Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1891. Stan­ford is a pri­vate insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion that con­sis­tent­ly ranks among the top uni­ver­si­ties across the globe. Stanford’s 8,000+ acres is locat­ed near Sil­i­con Val­ley and is home to more than 17,000 stu­dents study­ing from the school’s three colleges/schools and 40+ aca­d­e­m­ic divisions.

High­light: The founders of Stan­ford Uni­ver­si­ty mod­eled the school after the great insti­tu­tions of high­er learn­ing on the East Coast, like Cornell.

Degree: BA in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Mass­a­chu­setts Insti­tute of Tech­nol­o­gy offers the best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­gram that is taught by the high­ly qual­i­fied staff at MIT. Stu­dents enrolled in MIT’s under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics degree pro­gram study eco­nom­ics from both the­o­ret­i­cal and applied per­spec­tives. Course­work for one of the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able includes:

  • Macro­eco­nom­ics
  • Sta­tis­tics
  • Econo­met­rics
  • Micro­eco­nom­ics

Degree can­di­dates find reward­ing work in the fields of busi­ness, con­sult­ing, the gov­ern­ment, acad­e­mia, and pub­lic pol­i­cy. Many under­grad­u­ate degree grad­u­ates choose to earn their grad­u­ate degree after a few years of experience.

MIT was found­ed in 1861. MIT is rec­og­nized as a sea-grant, space-grant, and land grant insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion. MIT’s urban cam­pus shares Cam­bridge, Mass­a­chu­setts, with Har­vard Uni­ver­si­ty as its main campus.

High­light: The Mass­a­chu­setts Insti­tute of Tech­nol­o­gy is rec­og­nized for its tremen­dous aca­d­e­m­ic con­tri­bu­tions to the areas of engi­neer­ing, sci­ence, math­e­mat­ics, and technology.

Degree: Eco­nom­ics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

3. Duke University

Duke University’s Eco­nom­ics Depart­ment offers two of the best eco­nom­ics degrees in the coun­try. Stu­dents can select from a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree pro­gram or a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree pro­gram. The BA degree is designed for eco­nom­ic his­to­ri­ans or aca­d­e­m­ic econ­o­mists, where­as the BS degree offers a more prac­ti­cal quan­ti­ta­tive approach that pre­pares degree grad­u­ates for reward­ing careers in busi­ness or finance. Duke’s BS best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­gram can be com­plet­ed with a con­cen­tra­tion in finance.

Duke Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1838 as the Brown School. Duke University’s Durham cam­pus cov­ers more than 8,500 acres (across three inter­con­nect­ed cam­pus­es) and serves near­ly 16,000 stu­dents. Duke Uni­ver­si­ty also oper­ates a 15-acre marine lab on the Atlantic Coast and 50+ acres of gar­dens that were estab­lished after the Great Depression.

High­light: Duke Uni­ver­si­ty is con­sis­tent­ly rec­og­nized as one of the globe’s most elite insti­tu­tions of high­er learning.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

4. University of Pennsylvania

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Penn­syl­va­nia offers two of the best eco­nom­ics degrees in the nation. Stu­dents inter­est­ed in eco­nom­ics can opt for UPenn’s Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree pro­gram or a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics. UPenn’s best degree in eco­nom­ics degrees include course­work Micro and Macro­eco­nom­ics, Sta­tis­tics for Econ­o­mists, Strate­gic Rea­son­ing, Med­ical Eco­nom­ics, and Econo­met­rics, to name a few. Stu­dents may request trans­fer cred­its, which require pri­or approval from the eco­nom­ics depart­ment staff.

Ben­jamin Franklin estab­lished UPenn — the Uni­ver­si­ty of Penn­syl­va­nia — in 1740. UPen­n’s alum­ni reads like a list of whos-who; 60+ bil­lion­aires, 40+ gov­er­nors, and 8 Dec­la­ra­tion of Inde­pen­dence sign­ers. UPen­n’s cam­pus­es are home to near­ly 22,000 stu­dents study­ing for degrees offered by the under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate colleges/schools with­in the university.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Penn­syl­va­nia holds the dis­tinc­tion of being one of the US’s nine colo­nial col­leges, those estab­lished before the Amer­i­can Revolution.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Uni­ver­si­ty of North Car­oli­na offers two of the best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams. Stu­dents attend­ing UNC Chapel Hill can choose a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) or a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence in Eco­nom­ics degree pro­gram. Eco­nom­ics majors at UNC Chapel Hill spend the first two years study­ing at UNC Chapel Hill’s gen­er­al school and must pass a cal­cu­lus course before embark­ing on their major. Course­work for these best eco­nom­ics degrees includes Econo­met­rics, and Eco­nom­ic The­o­ry, to name a few.

UNC — The Uni­ver­si­ty of North Car­oli­na, Chapel Hill, was estab­lished in 1789. UNC Chapel Hill is the flag­ship school of the Uni­ver­si­ty of North Car­oli­na sys­tem. The Uni­ver­si­ty of North Car­oli­na, Chapel Hill’s 700+ acre cam­pus is home to near­ly 30,000 stu­dents and near­ly 3,700 aca­d­e­m­ic staff members.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of North Car­oli­na at Chapel Hill is one of three insti­tu­tions of high­er edu­ca­tion that stake claim to being the old­est pub­lic school in the nation.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

6. Georgetown University

George­town University’s Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers a BS in Eco­nom­ics degree pro­gram that is rec­og­nized among the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able. Georgetown’s best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­gram includes course­work as follows:

  • Macro and Microeconomics
  • Eco­nom­ic Statistics
  • Prin­ci­ples of Economics 

Degree can­di­dates must com­plete ten eco­nom­ics cours­es, plus cal­cu­lus, to earn the eco­nom­ics major degree. Eco­nom­ics majors find reward­ing work as:

  • Invest­ment Banker
  • Finan­cial Analyst
  • Sta­tis­ti­cian
  • Pro­fes­sor
  • Con­sul­tant

Many George­town grad­u­ates choose to earn their grad­u­ate degree or Ph.D.

George­town Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1789. George­town University’s urban cam­pus cov­ers more than 100 acres and ser­vices more than 19,000 stu­dents study­ing for degrees in one of near­ly 50 dis­ci­plines. George­town stu­dents oper­ate the largest stu­dent-run finan­cial company.

High­light: George­town Uni­ver­si­ty is rec­og­nized as being the school that pro­duces more Unit­ed States Diplo­mats than any oth­er school.

Degree: BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

7. Columbia University

Colum­bia Uni­ver­si­ty offers six of the best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams. Avail­able eco­nom­ic con­cen­tra­tions from Colum­bia Uni­ver­si­ty includes:

  • Finan­cial Economics
  • Math­e­mat­ics
  • Phi­los­o­phy
  • Polit­i­cal Science
  • Sta­tis­tics

Degree can­di­dates in any eco­nom­ic major must com­plete two semes­ters of Cal­cu­lus or the hon­ors math sequence. Core eco­nom­ic cours­es take a sci­en­tif­ic approach and include Macro and Micro­eco­nom­ics, Econo­met­rics, and the Polit­i­cal Econ­o­my. Trans­fer cred­its are per­mit­ted with pri­or approval of Columbi­a’s eco­nom­ics depart­ment for Colum­bia University’s best eco­nom­ics degrees.

Colum­bia Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1754. Colum­bia Uni­ver­si­ty is con­sis­tent­ly ranked among the top ten schools across the globe. Columbia’s urban cam­pus is near­ly 300 acres and home to more than 33,000 students.

High­light: Colum­bia Uni­ver­si­ty is rec­og­nized as one of the nine colo­nial col­leges an ivy league school and the old­est insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing in the Empire State of New York.

Degree: Eco­nom­ics — 6 concentrations

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

8. University of Virginia

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Vir­ginia offers one of the best eco­nom­ics degrees across the coun­try. UVA’s Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers inter­est­ed stu­dents sev­er­al eco­nom­ic major concentrations:

  • Finan­cial Economics
  • Indus­tri­al Organization
  • Inter­na­tion­al Economics
  • Pub­lic Policy 

UVA’s best degree in eco­nom­ics includes course­work of Game The­o­ry, Eco­nom­ics of Sports, Eco­nom­ics of Health, and Antitrust Pol­i­cy to name a few. 

Cred­it for trans­fer cred­its must receive pri­or approval from the Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics. UVA offers degree can­di­dates the oppor­tu­ni­ty to study abroad for cours­es that apply to the eco­nom­ics degree.

Thomas Jef­fer­son found­ed UVA — the Uni­ver­si­ty of Vir­ginia — in 1819. The Uni­ver­si­ty of Vir­ginia is the flag­ship insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion with­in the Uni­ver­si­ty of Vir­ginia sys­tem. The school’s small city cam­pus is home to more than 24,000 students.

High­light: UVA is cred­it­ed with two of the top sci­en­tif­ic break­throughs in 2015 alone.

Degree: Eco­nom­ics Major

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

9. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois offers a best degree in eco­nom­ics through its Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics or its Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics. UI Urbana-Champaign’s best eco­nom­ics degrees include course­work of sta­tis­tics, eco­nom­ics, and cal­cu­lus, to name a few. Degree can­di­dates grad­u­ate from UI’s eco­nom­ics degree pro­gram pre­pared to apply their spe­cial­ized knowl­edge across diverse eco­nom­ic issues using quan­ti­ta­tive rea­son­ing and sound prob­lem-solv­ing skills. Under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics majors are encour­aged to join with fac­ul­ty mem­bers to con­duct research on an inde­pen­dent study.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign was estab­lished in 1867 under the Mor­rill Land Grant Act. The school is also rec­og­nized as a flag­ship cam­pus, sea-grant, land-grant and space-grant uni­ver­si­ty. More than 51,000 stu­dents attend class­es at UI Urbana-Champaign.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign’s library sys­tem is the 2nd largest in the coun­try, sec­ond only to Har­vard University.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

10. University of California, Berkeley

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Cal­i­for­nia, Berkeley’s Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics that is rec­og­nized among the best eco­nom­ics degree in the nation. Eco­nom­ics majors in the hon­ors pro­gram study­ing at UC Berke­ley have the option to par­tic­i­pate in research that con­cludes with a senior the­sis. Course­work for UC Berke­ley’s best degree in eco­nom­ics includes:

  • Macro and Microeconomics
  • Real Estate & Urban Land Economics
  • Econo­met­rics
  • His­to­ry of Eco­nom­ic Thought

UC Berke­ley also pro­vides study abroad oppor­tu­ni­ties for its eco­nom­ic degree candidates.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of California–Berkeley was estab­lished in 1868. UC Berke­ley is the flag­ship (and old­est) cam­pus of the Uni­ver­si­ty of Cal­i­for­nia sys­tem. The school’s 1,000+acres serves more than 43,000 stu­dents study­ing from the school’s four­teen colleges/schools.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of California–Berkeley is reg­u­lar­ly rec­og­nized among the top pub­lic insti­tu­tions of high­er learn­ing in the Unit­ed States and the world.

Degree: BA in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

11. Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University’s (Texas A&M Col­lege Sta­tion) Col­lege of Lib­er­al Arts offers two of the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able in the coun­try. Texas A&M Uni­ver­si­ty pro­vides a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) and Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics. The BA best degree in eco­nom­ics devel­ops crit­i­cal and ana­lyt­ic think­ing through the study and research of eco­nom­ic prin­ci­ples & the­o­ry. The BS eco­nom­ics degree pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents to apply crit­i­cal think­ing skills to bet­ter under­stand the behav­ior of indi­vid­u­als. Both the BS and the BA eco­nom­ics degrees from Texas A&M can be com­bined to earn dual degrees.

Texas A&M University–College Sta­tion was estab­lished in 1871. The school is the flag­ship cam­pus of the sys­tem and a sea-grant, space-grant, land-grant, and senior mil­i­tary col­lege. Texas A&M’s col­lege town cam­pus cov­ers more than 5,000 acres and serves near­ly 70,000 students.

High­light: Texas A&M University–College Sta­tion is rec­og­nized as one of the found­ing schools of the Texas A&M uni­ver­si­ty system.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

12. University of Texas at Austin

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Texas at Austin’s Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers one of the best eco­nom­ics degrees in the coun­try. UT Austin’s Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree in Eco­nom­ics requires a stu­dent to com­plete 120 cred­it hours to grad­u­ates. Course­work for the best degree in eco­nom­ics includes in res­i­dence pro­grams (at UT Austin) of Macro and Micro­eco­nom­ics, Eco­nom­ic Sta­tis­tics, and Econo­met­rics for a total of 18 cred­it hours tak­en in-res­i­dence. Eco­nom­ics majors find reward­ing work in busi­ness, law, inter­na­tion­al rela­tions med­i­cine, and gov­ern­ment agencies.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Texas at Austin was estab­lished in 1883 as a pub­lic insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion ded­i­cat­ed to research. UT Austin is home to the LBJ library & muse­um and the Blan­ton Art Muse­um. The stu­dent enroll­ment at UT Austin exceeds 51,000.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Texas at Austin is rec­og­nized among edu­ca­tion experts as a pub­lic ivy league university.

Degree: BA in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

13. University of Notre Dame

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Notre Dame offers one of the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able in the Unit­ed States. Course­work for Notre Dame’s best degree in eco­nom­ics includes:

  • Macro­eco­nom­ics and Microeconomics
  • Eco­nom­ic Growth
  • Eco­nom­ics of the Family
  • Sta­tis­tics
  • Game The­o­ry
  • Mon­e­tary Policy

Degree can­di­dates can opt to a con­cen­tra­tion in Finan­cial Eco­nom­ics and Econo­met­rics. Degree grad­u­ates enter the work­force in the field of man­age­ment, bank­ing, con­sult­ing, busi­ness, the gov­ern­ment, and marketing.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Notre Dame was found­ed in 1842. The school is affil­i­at­ed with the Catholic Church – the Con­gre­ga­tion of Holy Cross. Notre Dame’s main cam­pus exceeds 1,200 acres and is home to more than 12,000 students.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Notre Dame has a stu­dent to fac­ul­ty ratio of 10 to 1.

Degree: Eco­nom­ics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

14. Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mel­lon University’s Tep­per School of Business/Dietrich Col­lege of Human­i­ties & Social Sci­ences offers five of the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able in the coun­try. The best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams includes:

  • Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) or a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) in Economics
  • BS in Eco­nom­ics & Politics
  • BS in Eco­nom­ics & Math­e­mat­i­cal Sciences
  • BS in Eco­nom­ics & Statistics

US News rec­og­nizes CMU’s under­grad­u­ate busi­ness pro­gram fifth in the coun­try. Stu­dents enrolled in CMU’s have the oppor­tu­ni­ty to study abroad dur­ing their aca­d­e­m­ic career at Carnegie Mel­lon University.

Andrew Carnegie estab­lished Carnegie Mel­lon Uni­ver­si­ty in 1900. CMU merged with the Mel­lon Insti­tute in the late 1960s. The down­town Pitts­burgh cam­pus cov­ers more than 125 acres and serves near­ly 15,000 stu­dents. Carnegie Mel­lon Uni­ver­si­ty is orga­nized into sev­en schools/colleges.

High­light: Carnegie Mel­lon Uni­ver­si­ty oper­ates more than ten inter­na­tion­al loca­tions on six continents.

Degree: Eco­nom­ics — 5 majors

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

15. University of Georgia

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Georgia’s Ter­ry Col­lege of Busi­ness offers two of the best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams in the Unit­ed States. UGA’s under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics pro­grams include a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) in Eco­nom­ics or a Bach­e­lor of Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion (BBA) in Eco­nom­ics. Stu­dents enrolled in UGA’s best eco­nom­ics degrees take class­es in Labor Eco­nom­ics, Sports Eco­nom­ics, Urban Eco­nom­ics, Eco­nom­ic Ana­lyt­ics of Law, and Game The­o­ry, to name a few. Grad­u­ates find reward­ing work as Under­writ­ers, Audi­tors, Actu­ar­ies, or Finan­cial Ana­lysts, among others.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Geor­gia was estab­lished in 1785. The Uni­ver­si­ty of Geor­gia is rec­og­nized as one of the old­est pub­lic insti­tu­tions of high­er edu­ca­tion in the coun­try. The school’s uni­ver­si­ty-town cam­pus is home to more than 38,000 stu­dents and a list of alum­ni that reads like a whos who.

High­light: UGA is only one of four schools in the Unit­ed States to be a land-grant, space-grant, sea-grant, and sun-grant university.

Degree: BA or BBA in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

16. University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Min­neso­ta offers two eco­nom­ics degrees con­sid­ered to be among the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able across the coun­try. U of M offers a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree and a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree pro­gram in eco­nom­ics, plus a BA in Eco­nom­ics with a con­cen­tra­tion in quan­ti­ta­tive analy­sis. U of M’s best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams includes course­work like:

  • Micro and Macroeconomics
  • Cal­cu­lus I & II
  • Econo­met­rics
  • a senior seminar/project

All BA eco­nom­ics majors are required to com­plete a cap­stone project.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Min­neso­ta was estab­lished in 1851 under the Mor­rill Land Grant Act. In addi­tion, U of M is the flag­ship cam­pus of the Uni­ver­si­ty of Min­neso­ta sys­tem and space-grant uni­ver­si­ty. The school’s urban cam­pus­es are home to near­ly 48,000 students.

High­light: Aca­d­e­m­ic Rank­ing of World Uni­ver­si­ties rec­og­nizes U of M among the top 50 schools worldwide.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

17. Vanderbilt University

Van­der­bilt University’s Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers sev­er­al degree pro­grams that allow stu­dents to choose a major or minor in Eco­nom­ics. Course­work for Van­der­bilt’s best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­gram includes:

  • Macro and Microeconomics
  • Econo­met­rics
  • Sta­tis­tics

Stu­dents enrolled in Van­der­bilt University’s best eco­nom­ics degrees can also dual major in His­to­ry & Eco­nom­ics by com­plet­ing an Inter­dis­ci­pli­nary major dec­la­ra­tion. Van­der­bilt Uni­ver­si­ty offers a study abroad pro­gram for eco­nom­ics majors, and the option to trans­fer cred­its from oth­er accred­it­ed insti­tu­tions of high­er learning.

Van­der­bilt Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1873. The school was found­ed by the rail mag­nate Cor­nelius Van­der­bilt. The school’s urban cam­pus more than 300 acres and serves more than 13,000 students.

High­light: Van­der­bilt Uni­ver­si­ty’s cam­pus, despite its urban envi­ron­ment, is a rec­og­nized nation­al arboretum.

Degree: Eco­nom­ics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

18. Rice University

Rice Uni­ver­si­ty’s Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics that is ranked among the best eco­nom­ics degrees in the nation. The school also pro­vides the eco­nom­ics major of Math­e­mat­i­cal Eco­nom­ic Analy­sis. Grad­u­ates from Rice University’s best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams enter the work­force as:

  • Man­age­ment Consultants
  • Research Ana­lysts
  • Health Care
  • Jour­nal­ism
  • Gov­ern­ment
  • Edu­ca­tion

Degree Can­di­dates com­plete course­work in Applied Econo­met­rics, Game The­o­ry, Prin­ci­ples of Eco­nom­ics, and Micro- & Macroeconomics.

Rice Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished as a pri­vate insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing in 1912. The school’s urban acreage is home to more than 7,100 stu­dents and more than 650 aca­d­e­m­ic staff mem­bers. Forbes Mag­a­zine ranks Rice about 21st for lib­er­al arts schools. The Prince­ton Review rec­og­nizes Rice’s stu­dents as the happiest.

High­light: Rice Uni­ver­si­ty boasts a student/faculty ratio of 6 to 1.

Degree: BA in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

19. University of Maryland

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Maryland’s Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers two of the most sought-after and best eco­nom­ics degrees in the coun­try. Stu­dents can opt for the Uni­ver­si­ty of Maryland’s Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree pro­gram or the Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics. UMD’s best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams dif­fers as fol­lows – the BA pro­gram cov­ers the con­cept of eco­nom­ics com­pre­hen­sive­ly while the BS in eco­nom­ics pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents to imple­ment tech­niques to ana­lyze eco­nom­ic data. Core course­work for both eco­nom­ics degrees includes:

  • Micro- and Macroeconomics
  • Eco­nom­ic Statistics
  • Econo­met­rics

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mary­land was estab­lished in Mary­land Agri­cul­tur­al Col­lege in 1856. UMD is the flag­ship cam­pus of the Uni­ver­si­ty of Mary­land sys­tem and a space-grant, sea-grant, and land-grant insti­tu­tion of high­er learning.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mary­land holds the dis­tinc­tion of hav­ing the most sig­nif­i­cant stu­dent enroll­ments in the State of Mary­land and the greater DC area.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

20. Boston College

Boston Col­lege offers a BS in Eco­nom­ics that is rec­og­nized among the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able through­out the coun­try. Boston College’s best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­gram includes course­work of:

  • Sta­tis­tics
  • Econo­met­ric Methods
  • Macro- and Microeconomics

Eco­nom­ic stu­dents are encour­aged to study abroad by attend­ing class­es in Lon­don, Dublin, Spain, Italy, and Aus­tralia. Stu­dents grad­u­ate pre­pared to enter their careers in busi­ness, med­i­cine, finance, law, and envi­ron­men­tal sci­ence, to name a few. BC offers excelling stu­dents the option of com­plet­ing an hon­ors thesis.

Boston Col­lege was estab­lished in 1863. The school was found­ed and remains affil­i­at­ed with the Roman Catholic (Jesuit) Church. Boston Col­lege is orga­nized into nine colleges/schools which serve near­ly 15,000 stu­dents. BC’s men’s ice hock­ey pro­gram has tak­en home five nation­al cham­pi­onship trophies.

High­light: Boston Col­lege oper­ates cam­pus­es in Chest­nut Hill, Brighton, and New­ton Mass.

Degree: BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

21. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hop­kins Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Eco­nom­ics that is ranked con­sis­tent­ly among the best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams avail­able today. Stu­dents enrolled in Johns Hop­kins’ best eco­nom­ics degrees study and mas­ter eco­nom­ic, the­o­ret­i­cal mod­els that help under­stand how mar­kets, con­sumers, and economies oper­ate. An eco­nom­ics degree from Johns Hop­kins pre­pares degree grad­u­ates for reward­ing careers in law, bank­ing, med­i­cine, pub­lic ser­vice, or the gov­ern­ment. Course­work includes:

  • Finan­cial Writing
  • Eco­nom­ics of Discrimination
  • Cor­po­rate Finance
  • Mon­e­tary Analysis

Johns Hop­kins Uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate uni­ver­si­ty estab­lished in 1876. Johns Hop­kins Uni­ver­si­ty oper­ates sev­er­al cam­pus­es in Mary­land, DC, Chi­na, and Italy. The school’s stu­dent enroll­ment exceeds 26,000 stu­dents, of which more than 20,000 are grad­u­ate students.

High­light: Johns Hop­kins University’s men’s lacrosse team has won more than 40 nation­al titles.

Degree: BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

22. Binghamton University (SUNY)

Part of the State Uni­ver­si­ty of New York sys­tem, Bing­ham­ton Uni­ver­si­ty offers two of the best eco­nom­ics degrees avail­able on the mar­ket today. Stu­dents attend­ing SUNY Bing­ham­ton may opt to com­plete a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) or a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree pro­gram in Eco­nom­ics offered by SUNY Bing­ham­ton. Binghamton’s best degree in eco­nom­ics BA pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents with a com­pre­hen­sive cur­ricu­lum in the prin­ci­ples of eco­nom­ics, where­as the BS pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents to ana­lyze eco­nom­ic poli­cies using eco­nom­ic tools of dis­cov­ery. Stu­dents can opt to earn a mas­ter’s degree in pub­lic admin­is­tra­tion or eco­nom­ics with one addi­tion­al year of study.

Bing­ham­ton Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished as Triple Cities Col­lege in 1950. Bing­ham Uni­ver­si­ty is a mem­ber school of the State of New York Uni­ver­si­ty sys­tem. The school’s 900+ acre cam­pus serves near­ly 18,000 stu­dents study­ing for degrees offered by the school’s nine colleges/schools.

High­light: Bing­ham­ton Uni­ver­si­ty has been rec­og­nized among the country’s pub­lic ivy league schools.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

23. Washington University in St. Louis

Wash­ing­ton Uni­ver­si­ty in St. Louis offers a BS in Eco­nom­ics ranked among the best degree in eco­nom­ics degree pro­grams avail­able. WashU’s best eco­nom­ics degrees require degree can­di­dates to com­plete class­es in:

  • Busi­ness Finance
  • Inter­na­tion­al Trade
  • Man­age­r­i­al Accounting
  • Eco­nom­ics Techniques
  • Macro/Microeconomics

Stu­dents must apply for WashU’s eco­nom­ics pro­gram already pos­sess­ing six cred­it units of col­lege-lev­el cours­es that are trans­ferrable or tak­en at Uni­ver­si­ty Col­lege. Inter­na­tion­al stu­dents must also sub­mit an IELTS or TOEFL score on application.

Wash­ing­ton Uni­ver­si­ty in St. Louis was estab­lished in 1853. The school’s urban cam­pus cov­ers more than 325 acres and serves more than 15,000 stu­dents. WashU is rec­og­nized among the top 20 nation­al schools by US News and World Report.

High­light: Wash­ing­ton Uni­ver­si­ty in St. Louis has been select­ed more than any oth­er loca­tion to host a vice-pres­i­den­tial or pres­i­den­tial debate, host­ing the Trump/Clinton debate in 2016.

Degree: BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

24. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Rut­gers Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BA in Eco­nom­ics that is con­sid­ered among the best eco­nom­ics degrees in the coun­try. Stu­dents look­ing to earn their BA in Eco­nom­ics from Rut­gers must com­plete 25 cred­its of core eco­nom­ic class, plus oth­er rel­e­vant and relat­ed elec­tives that include Deriv­a­tives, Finance, Invest­ments, and Cor­po­rate Finance. Core cours­es for Rut­gers’ best degree in eco­nom­ics include:

  • Applied Eco­nom­ics
  • Cal­cu­lus
  • Sta­tis­tics
  • Eco­nom­ics of Labor
  • Eco­nom­ics of Health

Rut­gers Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished as Queen’s Col­lege in 1766. Rut­gers oper­ates sev­er­al cam­pus­es through New Jer­sey and serves a stu­dent pop­u­la­tion that nears 69,000 stu­dents. Rut­gers’ cam­pus is about 45 min­utes from Philadel­phia and about an hour from down­town New York City.

High­light: Rut­gers Uni­ver­si­ty holds the dis­tinc­tion of being one of only nine colo­nial schools (schools found­ed before the Amer­i­can Rev­o­lu­tion) in the Unit­ed States.

Degree: BA in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

25. Michigan State University

Michi­gan State University’s Col­lege of Social Sci­ences and Depart­ment of Eco­nom­ics offers two eco­nom­ic degree pro­grams rec­og­nized among the best eco­nom­ics degrees across the coun­try. Michi­gan State Uni­ver­si­ty offers a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) degree and a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree in Eco­nom­ics that pre­pare stu­dents for reward­ing careers in bank­ing, insur­ance, con­sul­tants, edu­ca­tion, pub­lic pol­i­cy, man­age­ment, the gov­ern­ment, or law, among oth­ers. The best degree in eco­nom­ics pro­grams offered by MSU includes course­work that cov­ers both inter­na­tion­al and domes­tic eco­nom­ic policies.

Michi­gan State Uni­ver­si­ty (MSU) was estab­lished in 1855 as a result of the Mor­rill Land Grant Act. The school is also a sea-grant insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing. The school’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus cov­ers more than 10,000 acres and serves a stu­dent enroll­ment that exceeds 50,000.

High­light: US News rec­og­nizes MSU among the top 35 best pub­lic schools in the country.

Degree: BA or BS in Economics

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

What Makes a Good School of Economics?

Under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics rank­ings can tell you the best, but not nec­es­sar­i­ly the best for you. When choos­ing the best school of eco­nom­ics, it’s essen­tial to look into schools that offer the type of pro­gram that a per­son wants, whether that’s online or on cam­pus. The best eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate pro­grams often offer both.

Often, the busi­ness school is the home of the eco­nom­ics depart­ment. Some of the most com­pet­i­tive busi­ness schools include:

  • Prince­ton University
  • the Uni­ver­si­ty of Chicago
  • Cor­nell University
  • Yale Uni­ver­si­ty

Elite schools like this offer research oppor­tu­ni­ties, intern­ships, and the kind of access only the best col­leges in Amer­i­ca can provide.

The next step to select­ing the best under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics school is to com­pare what the school has to offer. For instance, the best eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate schools pro­vide a stu­dent with access to con­nec­tions to employ­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties. The best schools for eco­nom­ics under­grad are well respect­ed and have a his­to­ry of ade­quate­ly prepar­ing stu­dents for a career in economics.

Anoth­er aspect that the top under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics schools have is the oppor­tu­ni­ty for men­tor­ship. The rea­son why this is so impor­tant in terms of the best school of eco­nom­ics is because a men­tor can guide a stu­dent. The best under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics schools have men­tors because these indi­vid­u­als pro­vide insight that can only be pro­vid­ed by some­one who has expe­ri­ence in the field.

Cur­rent research is impor­tant when choos­ing from the best eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate schools. The rea­son why the best schools for eco­nom­ics under­grad have a strong research base is because eco­nom­ics is a real-world study, and the field is ever-chang­ing. There­fore, the top under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics schools need to take this into account.

The top schools for eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate have a well-round­ed pro­gram. Plus, the top schools for eco­nom­ics under­grad­u­ate have a strong math base. Look to uni­ver­si­ty rank­ings to see where your degree should start.

Is Economics a Good Career Choice?

When a per­son sets out to earn a degree, he or she must look toward the future and take into account sev­er­al fac­tors. For one, a per­son needs to eval­u­ate the careers for econ majors. Some exam­ples of careers with a major in eco­nom­ics include:

  • busi­ness economics
  • mar­ket research analyst
  • eco­nom­ic consultant
  • actu­ary
  • finan­cial analyst
  • pol­i­cy analyst

Oth­er exam­ples for econ majors include a com­pen­sa­tion and ben­e­fits ana­lyst, man­age­ment con­sul­tant, or a busi­ness reporter.

The options for econ majors careers expand if a per­son decides to earn a master’s degree after his or her bachelor’s. For instance, careers for eco­nom­ics majors who pos­sess a master’s in eco­nom­ics include an econ­o­mist, pol­i­cy ana­lyst, and even a pro­fes­sor. With a master’s, a per­son can earn a teach­ing cer­tifi­cate and edu­cate future stu­dents about eco­nom­ics in a two-year col­lege. The best under­grad­u­ate eco­nom­ics pro­grams will pre­pare you for grad­u­ate school.

Besides under­stand­ing the careers with a major in eco­nom­ics, a per­son should also know about the salary of econ majors careers. As a mar­ket research ana­lyst, one of the careers for eco­nom­ics majors who pos­sess a bachelor’s, a per­son can earn an aver­age of $63,120 per year, as report­ed by the Bureau of Labor Sta­tis­tics (BLS). As one of the best careers for eco­nom­ics majors, a per­son who’s a man­age­ment con­sul­tant earns an aver­age of $83,610 per year and only needs to pos­sess a bachelor’s degree in economics.

As men­tioned above, a per­son can choose to fur­ther his or her edu­ca­tion after earn­ing a bachelor’s. A master’s in eco­nom­ics increas­es a person’s mar­ketabil­i­ty when look­ing for a job. A per­son can take for a posi­tion as an econ­o­mist if he or she has a master’s. This is one of the best careers for eco­nom­ics majors because a per­son can earn over $100,000 per year. Accord­ing to the BLS, an econ­o­mist earns a medi­an salary of $104,340 per year as an econ­o­mist. This is the same as $50.16 hourly.

Some of the best cities for eco­nom­ics careers include Wash­ing­ton, DC, Los Ange­les, and Chicago.