2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Economics School for You
Economics is the #19 most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 80 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for economics students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 15% Best Economics Schools
Our analysis found Santa Rosa Junior College to be the best value school for economics students who want to pursue a degree in the Far Western US Region . SRJC is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa.
SRJC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,952 in tuition and fees each year.
SRJC also claimed a spot on our Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Los Angeles College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. East Los Angeles College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Monterey Park.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at East Los Angeles College are $9,012 a year.
Full Economics at East Los Angeles College Report
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Out of the 80 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - East Bay landed the # 3 spot on the list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Hayward.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State East Bay are $18,875 per year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Channel Islands. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
CSUCI undergraduate students pay an average of $18,697 in tuition and fees each year. Economics majors at CSUCI take out an average of $15,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Economics at California State University - Channel Islands Report
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Claremont McKenna College is a great value for economics students. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Claremont.
Claremont McKenna undergraduate students pay an average of $58,111 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, economics graduates from Claremont McKenna carry an average student debtload of $12,500.
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California State University - Fresno ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Fresno.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Fresno State are $18,533 a year. On average, economics graduates from Fresno State take out $13,198 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #7, San Jose State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for economics students. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $19,732 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Jose State also is in the top 20% of our Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.
Full Economics at San Jose State University Report
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With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for economics students. SDSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Diego.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SDSU are $20,016 a year. After completing their degree, economics graduates from SDSU carry an average student debtload of $16,633. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $221.
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Antelope Valley College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Lancaster, Antelope Valley College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Antelope Valley College are $6,980 a year.
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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for economics students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $28,105 a year. After completing their degree, economics graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $19,074. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $367.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region list.
Full Economics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
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University of Alaska Anchorage landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value economics programs. UAA is a fairly large public school located in the city of Anchorage.
UAA undergraduate students pay an average of $25,228 in tuition and fees each year.
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Sonoma State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
SSU undergraduate students pay an average of $19,868 in tuition and fees each year. Economics majors at SSU take out an average of $22,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Economics students in the Far Western US Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Economics Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley, CA |
| 14 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| 15 | California State University - San Marcos | San Marcos, CA |
| 15 | Butte College | Oroville, CA |
Best Economics Colleges by State
Explore the best economics colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 10,510 |
| Washington | 713 |
| Oregon | 596 |
| Nevada | 147 |
| Hawaii | 92 |
| Alaska | 17 |
More Economics Rankings in the Far Western US Region
Economics Related Majors for Economics
Economics is one of 12 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
- 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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