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2026 Best Value Applied Economics Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

[Applied Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/applied-economics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for applied economics students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Applied Economics Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

2026 Best Value Applied Economics Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in applied economics, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Applied Economics Schools

1

Utah State University
Logan, UT

$8,560 In-State Tuition & Fees

$15,250 Avg Student Debt

$54,022 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Utah State University, our #1 best value for applied economics in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in the city of Logan, Utah State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,560 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,993. Applied Economics graduates carry a median of $15,250 in student loans. Early-career applied economics graduates make about $60,472. That is a strong return on a $15,250 median debt. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.

2

Colorado School Of Mines
Golden, CO

$21,914 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,521 Avg Student Debt

$97,335 Median Earnings (10yr)

Colorado School Of Mines is a great value for students pursuing a degree in applied economics, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $21,914 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $45,824. Applied Economics graduates carry a median of $24,521 in student loans. Early-career applied economics graduates make about $76,298. That is a strong return on a $24,521 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.

View All Applied Economics Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked 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 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.