2026 Most Popular Economics Schools
There are 937 colleges that offer a degree in Economics. Learn more about the most popular schools below:
Finding the Best Economics School for You
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which Economics program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendance, there are many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Business Degree Central has developed this Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. This report analyzed 937 schools in the United States to see which Economics programs were the most popular. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Economics Schools in the United States
Check out the Economics programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.
Top 25 Most Popular Economics Schools
Our 2026 rankings named University of California-Los Angeles the most popular school in the U.S. for Economics majors. University of California-Los Angeles is a public school located in Los Angeles, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,017 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,763. Read More…
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 838 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,597. Read More…
University of Chicago landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in Chicago, IL, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 828 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $77,119. Read More…
University of Wisconsin-Madison landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in Madison, WI, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 804 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,379. Full Economics at University of Wisconsin-Madison Report
New York University comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 774 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,956. Full Economics at New York University Report
University of California-Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. University of California-Santa Barbara is a public school located in Santa Barbara, CA. This school awarded 729 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,259. Read full report on Economics at University of California-Santa Barbara
University of California-Berkeley comes in at #7 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. University of California-Berkeley is a public school located in Berkeley, CA. This school awarded 707 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,445. Read full report on Economics at University of California-Berkeley
Johns Hopkins University landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a private nonprofit school located in Baltimore, MD. This school awarded 645 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $89,069. Read More…
Columbia University in the City of New York comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 528 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $75,228. Read full report on Economics at Columbia University in the City of New York
University of California-Davis comes in at #10 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. University of California-Davis is a public school located in Davis, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 487 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,123. Read More…
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in Chapel Hill, NC, this is a public institution. This school awarded 486 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,058. Read More…
Texas A&M University-College Station comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Texas A&M University-College Station is a public school located in College Station, TX. During the most recent year for which we have data, 483 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $54,018. Full Economics at Texas A&M University-College Station Report
University of Connecticut landed the #13 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. University of Connecticut is a public school located in Storrs, CT. During the most recent year for which we have data, 471 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,816. Read More…
Boston College landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Boston College is a private nonprofit school located in Chestnut Hill, MA. This school awarded 460 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $61,773. Read full report on Economics at Boston College
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign comes in at #15 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public school located in Champaign, IL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 444 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,513. Read full report on Economics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Massachusetts-Amherst comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public school located in Amherst, MA. This school awarded 442 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,780. Read More…
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a public school located in Austin, TX. This school awarded 440 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,060. Full Economics at The University of Texas at Austin Report
Harvard University landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Harvard University is a private nonprofit school located in Cambridge, MA. This school awarded 423 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $92,518. Read full report on Economics at Harvard University
University of California-Irvine landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. University of California-Irvine is a public school located in Irvine, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 412 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,474. Read More…
Northwestern University comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in Evanston, IL, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 404 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $73,331. Full Economics at Northwestern University Report
University of Virginia-Main Campus comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in Charlottesville, VA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 399 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,471. Read full report on Economics at University of Virginia-Main Campus
Boston University landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in Boston, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 385 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $55,834. Read full report on Economics at Boston University
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in University Park, PA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 377 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $54,468. Read More…
University of Southern California comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. University of Southern California is a private nonprofit school located in Los Angeles, CA. This school awarded 363 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,275. Read More…
University of Maryland-College Park landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in College Park, MD, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 359 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $56,509. Read full report on Economics at University of Maryland-College Park
Rest of the Top Most Popular Economics Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that also graduate students in this major every year.
Economics by Region
See the most popular Economics schools in a specific region of the United States.
| Region |
|---|
| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Economics Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Economics Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Economics
Economics Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Economics | 22,727 |
| General Economics | 21,627 |
| Development Economics | 375 |
| Applied Economics | 368 |
| International Economics | 281 |
| Other Economics | 250 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 44,942 |
| Sociology | 31,380 |
| General Social Sciences | 17,510 |
| International Relations & Security | 13,035 |
| Anthropology | 10,768 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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