Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find, well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Colleges and Universities for Economics Degrees

By James Barham and Dr. James Barham

Published: Oct 5, 2020
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

The best economics degree programs are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best economics degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding economics faculty.

A bachelor’s degree in economics is an excellent starting point for a career in finance, policy development, marketing, and a host of other highly lucrative fields. As an economics major, you’ll study production, consumption, wealth transfer, and the way these activities relate to policy and governance. Your economics degree will also incorporate such core principles of monetary policy, budget planning, and cost analysis. The best schools for economics are those which are regionally accredited, which offer a full array of economics concentrations, and which give you the chance to work with the best and most influential professors and classmates.

Degree popularity: Economics bachelor’s degrees are the 35th most popular undergraduate degrees across all student demographics. It’s most popular among Asian Americans and Pacific Islander men and women, for whom it ranks as the 17th most desired degree, according to the number of degree earners reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Economics Bachelor’s Degrees

Earning a bachelor’s degree in economics can open numerous professional doors. You could work as an internal financial consultant for a big company, as a stock trade for a brokerage firm, or as an analyst for a government think tank. In fact, the skills and knowledge you’ll acquire in your degree program are highly transferable. This means that your understanding of concepts such as local market behavior, small business enterprising, and investment banking could land you a role in any sector that interests you. The best schools for economics will put you in a position to become a leader in an array of fast-paced and well-paying fields.

Today, top influencers in economics are illuminating topics such as new economic geography, information asymmetry theory, wealth and income inequality, and much more.

Economics is an excellent major because it can provide a pathway into countless fields and career opportunities. If you’re looking for a well-paying and secure job, an economics degree is a great place to start. Students who major in economics gain skills that are in high demand across a wide range of professional sectors. Abilities such as budget analysis, cost estimation, and market analysis make economics majors highly employable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of job opportunities for economists is expected to grow by a robust 14% by 2029.

Once you’ve declared your major in economics, you will likely be required to complete a set of core courses in a number of related subject areas. While your concentration will give you a chance to choose from a wide range of highly-specialized economics electives, there are a number of common courses that most economics majors will be required to take, including:

Principles of Economics
Money and Banking
Economics of Healthcare
Globalization
Econometrics
Labor Studies
Economics and the Developing Sphere
Gender and Economy
Financial Markets
Sustainability and Development

Earning a degree in economics can qualify you for a number of well-paying jobs. Your specialized knowledge qualifies you to work in one of the better-paying professional fields. According to the BLS, financial analysts earned a median salary of $81,590 in 2019, while personal financial advisors earned $87,850, and economists pulled in $105,020.

With a degree in economics, you’ll have a chance to pursue an array of high-paying opportunities, including these top jobs:

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).
Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.
Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.
The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

The Best Colleges and Universities for Economics Degrees

Harvard University
MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Chicago
Princeton University
Yale University

Go to The Best Economics Research Universities

Swarthmore College
Amherst College
Williams College
Claremont McKenna College
Wesleyan University

Go to The Best Economics Liberal Arts Colleges

University of Arizona
University of Maine
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Missouri State University
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Go to The Best Economics Online Colleges

The Best Economics Schools in Your State

Learn More About Economics

If you want to know more about economics, then check out our related content:

Learn how to major in economics
Think about your next step and what you can do with a master’s degree in economics
Learn more about economics from our interviews with influential economists
Find out who are the most influential economists today

Best Colleges and Universities for Economics Degrees

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Economics Bachelor’s Degrees

The Best Colleges and Universities for Economics Degrees

Best Economics Major Research Universities

Best Economics Major Liberal Arts Colleges

Best Economics Major Online Colleges

The Best Economics Schools in Your State

Learn More About Economics

Best Colleges and Universities for Economics Degrees

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Economics Bachelor’s Degrees

What can I do with an economics major?

Is economics a good major?

What courses will I take as an economics major?

What jobs can I do with an economics major?

The Best Colleges and Universities for Economics Degrees

Best Economics Major Research Universities

Best Economics Major Liberal Arts Colleges

Best Economics Major Online Colleges

The Best Economics Schools in Your State

Learn More About Economics