What jobs can I do with a master’s degree in economics?–

The following are among the most popular jobs for economics masters: Economists. Financial Analysts. Budget Analysts. Personal Financial Advisors. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists. Cost Estimators

Best Online Master’s in Economics

By James Barham and Dr. James Barham

Published: Nov 6, 2021
Updated: Sep 8, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in economics degree programs that have rich histories of hiring and producing influential economists. A great online master’s in economics can prepare you for a rewarding career and career advancement.

Top 10 Online Master's in Economics Degrees

Johns Hopkins University
University of Arizona
University of Missouri
Northeastern University
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Manhattan College
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Youngstown State University
Missouri State University

West Texas A&M University 97%
Missouri State University 94%
University of Detroit Mercy 93%
Southern New Hampshire University 92%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro 91%
Utica University 89%
University of Arizona 87%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 85%
Murray State University 85%
Northwood University 83%

Southern New Hampshire University 21 to 1
University of Houston–Victoria 20 to 1
Missouri State University 20 to 1
University of Massachusetts Lowell 19 to 1
University of Missouri 18 to 1
Youngstown State University 18 to 1
Empire State University 18 to 1
Murray State University 17 to 1
Saginaw Valley State University 17 to 1
University of North Carolina at Greensboro 16 to 1

Johns Hopkins University $58,720
Northeastern University $57,592
Manhattan College $47,220
Northwood University $30,520
University of Detroit Mercy $30,154
Utica University $24,214
Colorado Christian University $17,476
Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,078
Park University $12,280

Johns Hopkins University $58,720
Northwood University $37,080
Utica University $32,464
Northeastern University $25,801
University of Detroit Mercy $21,276
Manhattan College $20,052
Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
Saginaw Valley State University $15,748
University of Massachusetts Lowell $14,590
Colorado Christian University $13,474

University of Houston–Victoria
Utica University
Colorado Christian University
Empire State University
West Texas A&M University
Northwood University
Saginaw Valley State University
Park University
Murray State University
Southern New Hampshire University

Johns Hopkins University 8%
Northeastern University 18%
University of Houston–Victoria 53%
Manhattan College 75%
University of Missouri 77%
Saginaw Valley State University 78%
Youngstown State University 78%
Northwood University 83%
Murray State University 85%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 85%

Johns Hopkins University 6 to 1
Northwood University 9 to 1
University of Detroit Mercy 11 to 1
Manhattan College 11 to 1
Utica University 12 to 1
Northeastern University 14 to 1
Park University 15 to 1
West Texas A&M University 15 to 1
Colorado Christian University 15 to 1
University of Arizona 15 to 1

University of North Carolina at Greensboro $4,422
University of Houston–Victoria $5,111
West Texas A&M University $6,211
Empire State University $7,070
Missouri State University $7,196
Murray State University $8,040
Youngstown State University $9,196
University of Missouri $10,017
University of Arizona $10,990
Saginaw Valley State University $11,130

West Texas A&M University $5,086
University of North Carolina at Greensboro $5,219
Missouri State University $5,760
Park University $6,435
Youngstown State University $6,453
University of Houston–Victoria $6,618
Murray State University $8,982
University of Missouri $9,950
Empire State University $11,310
University of Arizona $12,106

Table of Contents

An online master’s in economics is an excellent degree for those who wish to advance a career in banking, financial consulting, brokerage, financial analysis, and a host of other well-paying careers. As a master of economics, you could choose from an array of specializations, including global trade, financial market behavior, retail cost analysis, insurance risk assessment, and countless other areas. The best graduate schools for economics will have regional and programmatic accreditation, offer a full array of economics specializations, and give you the chance to conduct research alongside the most influential professors and classmates.

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s in Economics Programs

Students who wish to become economists, or leaders in areas such as financial consultation and investment advising, should consider earning this advanced degree. Opportunities such as policy analyst and data scientist are often reserved for those who have earned a master’s degree. If you plan to conduct research or teach at the post-secondary level, this advanced degree is widely seen as an important threshold on your path to a PhD.

The emphasis on academic credentials in economics is high. Your advanced degree will make you more appealing to employers and open the door to greater career advancement. You could also work in a wide variety of professional settings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, 23% of economists worked as researchers and analysts in the financial government, with an additional 9% working in government at the state level. 18% worked in scientific development and another 17% were working in management, scientific, and technical consulting services. Just 7% were employed in the areas of finance and insurance, suggesting that as a graduate with a master’s in economics, you have a lot of career options.

You now have the choice to pursue a master’s in economics online from top-notch colleges and universities. For many, the flexibliilty of online degree programs mean the have the opportunity to get a degree when previously it may have been difficult or nearly impossible.

Some master’s in economics degree programs may require you to complete a Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Scoring requirements will vary from one economics master’s program to the next.

If no GRE is required, the primary requirement for gaining eligibility into an economics master’s program is completion of a bachelor’s degree from a properly accredited undergraduate school. While programmatic accreditation is not specifically required in this field, most regionally accredited graduate schools will require that your bachelor’s degree be granted by a regionally accredited college or university.

Direct any further questions to a representative from your intended program including inquiries about application requirements, work experience, academic performance thresholds, referrals, and prerequisite courses. If you’re still working on building your qualifications, check out our look at the economics major to find out how you can get an undergraduate degree in economics.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of job opportunities for economists is expected to grow at a robust rate of 14% by 2029. Depending on what you choose to do within the field, your economics degree could also lead to well above-average pay. The BLS reports that financial analysts earned a median salary of $81,590 in 2019, while personal financial advisors earned $87,850, and economists pulled in $105,020.

The following are among the most popular jobs for economics masters:

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s in economics.

How do we determine the best online economics master's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of similar occupations to Financial and Investment Analysts in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

79940Insurance Underwriters

88030Credit Analysts

103020Financial and Investment Analysts

110610Financial Risk Specialists

119960Personal Financial Advisors

Ranking: Best Online Masters’s in Economics Degree Programs

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

Best Online Master’s in Economics

Top 10 Online Master's in Economics Degrees

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s in Economics Programs

What can I do with a master’s degree in economics?

Why get a master’s degree in economics?

How do I get into a master’s degree program in economics?

Is it worth getting an online master’s degree in economics?

What jobs can I do with a master’s degree in economics?

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

Ranking: Best Online Masters’s in Economics Degree Programs

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What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+

Resources for Prospective Grad Students