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Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

86 Colleges

Finding the Best Economics Bachelor's Degree School for You

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for business students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Business Degree Central has created its Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 86 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for business students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for economics majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Top 15% Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Our analysis found University of Chicago to be the best school for economics students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, economics majors at UChicago accumulate an average of around $14,165 in student debt.

Full Economics at University of Chicago Report

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Notre Dame helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, economics majors at Notre Dame accumulate an average of around $18,335 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $666, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Economics at University of Notre Dame Report

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

On average, economics graduates from Northwestern take out $15,952 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $546, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#4

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

Out of the 86 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, DePauw University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $935.

Full Economics at DePauw University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, economics graduates from U-M carry an average student debtload of $17,524. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $853, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Economics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

#6

Denison University

Granville, OH

Denison University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for economics students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Denison is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Granville.

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Wheaton College Illinois landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree economics programs. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton.

Full Economics at Wheaton College Illinois Report

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #8 on this year’s Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

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University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #9 on this year’s Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a very large student population.

On average, economics graduates from UW - Madison take out $18,939 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $345, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Economics at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report

#10

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

Marquette University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Marquette is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Milwaukee.

When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $570.

Full Economics at Marquette University Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree economics programs. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, economics majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $18,364 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $488.

Read full report on Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for economics students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Cleveland.

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Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
13 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
14 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
15 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
16 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
17 University of Dayton Dayton, OH

Best Economics Colleges by State

Explore the best economics schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 1,493
Ohio 1,134
Illinois 2,131
Indiana 880
Wisconsin 1,225

Economics Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Economics 25,066
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics 21,078
Applied Economics 550
Development Economics & International Development 535
International Economics 305
Other Economics 275

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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