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Best Economics Schools in California

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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 large 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.

Full Economics at Claremont McKenna College Report

#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. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.

Read full report on Economics at Pomona College

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. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize 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

#4

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Read More…

#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. Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

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

Read More…

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

Read More…

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for economics students. It came in at #7 on the list. UCLA is a very 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.

Full Economics at University of California - Los Angeles Report

University of Southern California landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best economics programs. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a very 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.

Read More…

Claremont Graduate University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best economics programs. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Economics at Claremont Graduate University Report

University of California - Davis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Economics Schools in California ranking. UC Davis is a fairly large public school located in the small 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.

Read full report on Economics at University of California - Davis

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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