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Best Economics Schools in California

2023 Best Economics Schools in California

54 Colleges
$48,538 Avg Salary
$16,731 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Economics School for You

In 2020-2021, 10,510 degrees and certificates were awarded to economics students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Economics Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 54 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Economics Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Economics Colleges.

Top 10 Best Economics Schools

#1

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

Our analysis found Claremont McKenna College to be the best school for economics students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Economics majors at Claremont McKenna take out an average of $12,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#2

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Economics Schools in California list. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Claremont.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for economics students. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.

On average, economics graduates from UC Berkeley take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $378.

Full Economics at University of California - Berkeley Report

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#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. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

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#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Clara University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at SCU take out is $19,500.

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University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for economics students. It came in at #6 on the list. UCSB is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.

Economics majors at UCSB take out an average of $14,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $297, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of California - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best economics programs. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

On average, economics graduates from UCLA take out $15,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $230.

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University of Southern California ranked #8 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from USC carry an average student debtload of $15,987. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $311.

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Claremont Graduate University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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University of California - Davis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in California list. UC Davis is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Davis.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from UC Davis carry an average student debtload of $12,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $249.

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Best Economics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 713
Oregon 596
Nevada 147
Hawaii 92
Alaska 17

One of 12 majors within the area of study, economics has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415

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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