2026 Most Popular Economics Schools
There are 937 colleges that offer a degree in Economics. The most popular schools, by student demand, are 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.
The Most Popular Economics Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. 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.
Featured schools near , edit
2026 Most Popular Economics Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for Economics majors.
Top 25 Most Popular Economics Schools
The most popular school in the United States for Economics students is University of California-Los Angeles. 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. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school located in Ann Arbor, MI. This school awarded 838 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. 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. University of Chicago is a private nonprofit school located in Chicago, IL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 828 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $77,119. Full Economics at University of Chicago Report
University of Wisconsin-Madison comes in at #4 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in Madison, WI, this is a public institution. This school awarded 804 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,379. Read More…
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. During the most recent year for which we have data, 774 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,956. Read full report on Economics at New York University
University of California-Santa Barbara comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 729 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,259. Full Economics at University of California-Santa Barbara Report
University of California-Berkeley landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. University of California-Berkeley is a public school located in Berkeley, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 707 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to 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. Located in Baltimore, MD, this is a private nonprofit institution. 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 full report on Economics at Johns Hopkins University
Columbia University in the City of New York comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 528 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $75,228. Full Economics at Columbia University in the City of New York Report
University of California-Davis landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in Davis, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 487 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,123. Read full report on Economics at University of California-Davis
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public school located in Chapel Hill, NC. During the most recent year for which we have data, 486 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,058. Read full report on Economics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Texas A&M University-College Station comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in College Station, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 483 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $54,018. Read More…
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. This school awarded 471 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,816. Read full report on Economics at University of Connecticut
Boston College comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Boston College is a private nonprofit school located in Chestnut Hill, MA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 460 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. 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. Located in Champaign, IL, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 444 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,513. Read More…
University of Massachusetts-Amherst comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. Located in Amherst, MA, this is a public institution. 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. During the most recent year for which we have data, 440 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. 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 comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. 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 who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $92,518. Full Economics at Harvard University Report
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. This school awarded 412 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,474. Read More…
Northwestern University landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in Evanston, IL, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 404 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. 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 landed the #21 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school located in Charlottesville, VA. 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. Full Economics at University of Virginia-Main Campus Report
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. During the most recent year for which we have data, 385 people earned their degree in Economics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $55,834. Full Economics at Boston University Report
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. This school awarded 377 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $54,468. Read full report on Economics at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University of Southern California landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Economics Schools ranking. Located in Los Angeles, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 363 degrees in Economics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $63,275. Full Economics at University of Southern California Report
University of Maryland-College Park comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Economics majors. 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the Most Popular Economics Schools ranking, along with other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.