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Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

86 Colleges
$48,027 Avg Salary
$22,451 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Economics 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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 86 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best programs for business students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 15% Best Economics Schools

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Our 2023 rankings named University of Chicago the best school in the Great Lakes Region for economics students. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

While working on their degree, economics majors at UChicago accumulate an average of around $13,395 in student debt.

Read full report on Economics at University of Chicago

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Notre Dame take out is $19,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $666, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Economics at University of Notre Dame

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for economics students. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Northwestern take out is $15,250. 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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePauw University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Economics majors at DePauw take out an average of $26,932 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $935.

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The excellent programs at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from U-M carry an average student debtload of $18,750. 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 landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best economics programs. Denison is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Granville.

On average, economics graduates from Denison take out $22,375 in student loans while working on their degree.

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With a ranking of #7, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on this year’s best schools for economics students. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Wheaton College Illinois take out is $21,000.

Read full report on Economics at Wheaton College Illinois

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Read full report on Economics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for economics students. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from UW - Madison carry an average student debtload of $20,500. 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 came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Marquette is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee.

While working on their degree, economics majors at Marquette accumulate an average of around $22,437 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 $570.

Full Economics at Marquette University Report

Case Western Reserve University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Case Western is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Cleveland.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Case Western take out is $23,883.

Read full report on Economics at Case Western Reserve University

#12

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH

Oberlin College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Oberlin.

Economics majors at Oberlin take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Economics at Oberlin College Report

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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
13 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
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 colleges 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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