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Best Economics Master's Degree Schools in California

2023 Best Economics Master's Degree Schools in California

23 Colleges
$65,318 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Economics Master's Degree 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Economics Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in California to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for economics majors pursuing a master's degree.

Top 10 Best Economics Master's Degree Schools

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for economics students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California list. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

Full Economics at University of California - Berkeley Report

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Southern California is a great place for economics students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the # 4 spot on the list. UCLA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California list. UC Irvine is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Irvine.

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University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree economics programs. UCSB is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.

Full Economics at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

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University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree economics programs. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public school with a very large student population.

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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #8 on this year’s Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.

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With a ranking of #9, Claremont Graduate University did quite well on this year’s best schools for economics students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large 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 did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for economics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. UC Davis is a very large public school located in the small suburb of Davis.

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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 23 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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