Economics: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Economics graduates earn a median $82,686 four years after finishing — $34,326/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 2 years. Federal data pools 731 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 37,460 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Economics ranks #46 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 78% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams College | MA | $166,678 |
| 2 | Duke University | NC | $161,149 |
| 3 | Princeton University | NJ | $160,763 |
| 4 | University of Chicago | IL | $159,578 |
| 5 | Harvard University | MA | $155,592 |
| 6 | Dartmouth College | NH | $152,929 |
| 7 | Claremont McKenna College | CA | $146,524 |
| 8 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $144,886 |
| 9 | Yale University | CT | $142,936 |
| 10 | Amherst College | MA | $141,730 |
| 11 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $140,337 |
| 12 | Cornell University | NY | $137,935 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.