Economics: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 371 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Economics pays
Career outlook for Economics graduates
The job market for the occupations Economics graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | 1,333,700 | +4.5% | $136,550 | Bachelor's degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | 1,094,500 | -1.6% | $64,580 | Bachelor's degree |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | 941,700 | +6.7% | $76,950 | Bachelor's degree |
| Data scientists | 245,900 | +33.5% | $112,590 | Bachelor's degree |
| Social science research assistants | 40,600 | +4.4% | $58,040 | Bachelor's degree |
| Statisticians | 32,200 | +8.5% | $103,300 | Master's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Economics vs similar majors
How Economics stacks up against the closest fields in Social Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Economics Social Sciences · this major | International Relations and National Security Studies | Urban Studies/Affairs | Political Science and Government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 88 A | 74 B | 64 C | 57 C |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $84,830 | $72,857 | $66,845 | $64,077 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $55,377 | $47,208 | $45,013 | $37,559 |
| ROI vs cost | +400% | +239% | +173% | +139% |
| Typical debt | $21,120 | $28,128 | $21,781 | $21,535 |
| Colleges offering it | 371 | 145 | 33 | 536 |
Economics earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Economics
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Associate's | $76,911 | — | +5,042% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Master's | $162,229 | — | +4,600% | Strong return |
| 3 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Certificate | $89,124 | — | +3,455% | Strong return |
| 4 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Associate's | $77,945 | $10,101 | +3,314% | Strong return |
| 5 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Associate's | $77,611 | $10,450 | +3,203% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Associate's | $157,181 | $13,395 | +3,142% | Strong return |
| 7 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Associate's | $148,692 | $12,500 | +3,123% | Strong return |
| 8 | Davidson College Davidson, NC | Certificate | $124,368 | $22,625 | +2,997% | Strong return |
| 9 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Associate's | $161,251 | $6,617 | +2,767% | Strong return |
| 10 | Williams College Williamstown, MA | Associate's | $150,862 | $12,925 | +2,537% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $125,636 | $12,650 | +2,454% | Strong return |
| 12 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Associate's | $145,452 | $12,250 | +2,287% | Strong return |
| 13 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | Associate's | $128,449 | $12,000 | +2,214% | Strong return |
| 14 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Associate's | $86,084 | $13,750 | +2,167% | Strong return |
| 15 | Colby College Waterville, ME | Associate's | $142,245 | $24,250 | +2,151% | Strong return |
| 16 | Pomona College Claremont, CA | Associate's | $131,742 | — | +2,149% | Strong return |
| 17 | Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | Associate's | $122,126 | $19,500 | +2,048% | Strong return |
| 18 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Associate's | $65,099 | $6,650 | +1,915% | Strong return |
| 19 | Amherst College Amherst, MA | Associate's | $150,151 | $16,662 | +1,891% | Strong return |
| 20 | Duke University Durham, NC | Associate's | $171,986 | $13,187 | +1,883% | Strong return |
| 21 | Rice University Houston, TX | Associate's | $104,828 | $11,644 | +1,831% | Strong return |
| 22 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Associate's | $108,627 | $18,750 | +1,822% | Strong return |
| 23 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Associate's | $79,677 | $15,000 | +1,770% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA | Associate's | $92,399 | $14,488 | +1,751% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $100,784 | $15,000 | +1,725% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.