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2023 Best Economics Schools in California

54 Colleges
$48,538 Avg Salary
$16,133 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Economics School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, economics was ranked 2nd in California. In fact, 10,509 were awarded in the state in <nil>.

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 Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 54 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for business students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Economics Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for economics majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Economics Schools

#1

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Claremont McKenna College the best school in California for economics students. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Claremont.

While working on their degree, economics majors at Claremont McKenna accumulate an average of around $12,000 in student debt.

Read More…

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Pomona is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Economics at Pomona College Report

Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $12,650. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $343.

Full Economics at University of California - Berkeley Report

#4

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

The excellent programs at Stanford University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in California. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.

While working on their degree, economics majors at Stanford accumulate an average of around $12,500 in student debt.

Full Economics at Stanford University Report

#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

The excellent programs at Santa Clara University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in California. SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from SCU carry an average student debtload of $19,500.

Full Economics at Santa Clara University Report

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #6 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, economics majors at UCSB accumulate an average of around $13,440 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $308, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Economics at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s best schools for economics students. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at UCLA take out is $15,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $376, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of Southern California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for economics students. It came in at #8 on the list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at USC take out is $13,850. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $355, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Economics at University of Southern California Report

Claremont Graduate University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best economics programs. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Claremont.

Full Economics at Claremont Graduate University Report

University of California - Davis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for economics students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, economics majors at UC Davis accumulate an average of around $12,500 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $297, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Economics at University of California - Davis Report

Best Economics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 713
Oregon 590
Nevada 147
Hawaii 92
Alaska 17

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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