by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual reviewed 61 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of economics. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,269 bachelor's degrees in economics during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of economics for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality economics program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for economics students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in economics. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Vanderbilt University is a good option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in economics. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Vanderbilt University get an earnings boost of approximately $32,968 above the typical earnings of economics graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Vanderbilt University
Duke University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in economics. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham.
Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Duke University make $47,306 more than the standard economics grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Duke University
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in economics needs to look into University of Virginia - Main Campus. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Charlottesville.
Economics bachelor's degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of about $23,615 over the typical income of economics graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Virginia - Main Campus
It's difficult to beat University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in economics. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population.
Economics bachelor's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill get an earnings boost of about $14,001 above the average earnings of economics graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta.
Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Emory University earn a boost of around $19,997 above the average income of economics majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Emory University
Florida State is a very large public university located in the city of Tallahassee.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the economics program report average early career income of $47,304.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Florida State University
UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville.
After graduating, economics bachelor's recipients generally make about $42,349 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from University of Florida
Located in the large city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, economics bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $46,386 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Tulane University of Louisiana
Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
Economics bachelor's degree recipients from Virginia Tech earn a boost of around $4,918 over the average earnings of economics graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Virginia Tech
Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the economics major at Wake Forest University make $5,073 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of Lexington.
Those economics students who get their bachelor's degree from Washington and Lee University receive $20,394 more than the average economics grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from Washington and Lee University
William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.
Economics bachelor's degree recipients from William & Mary earn a boost of approximately $14,260 above the average earnings of economics graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in economics from William & MaryThese are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Economics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA |
| 14 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
| 15 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL |
| 16 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL |
| 17 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 18 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 19 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| 20 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
Explore the best economics colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 225 | 1,333 |
| Georgia | 224 | 519 |
| Tennessee | 220 | 365 |
| North Carolina | 213 | 1,058 |
| Virginia | 213 | 1,201 |
| South Carolina | 195 | 287 |
| Kentucky | 187 | 202 |
| Alabama | 184 | 69 |
| Louisiana | 171 | 189 |
| Mississippi | 169 | 49 |
| Arkansas | 167 | 89 |
| West Virginia | 147 | 34 |
Economics is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Economics | 3,279 |
| Econometrics & Quantitative Economics | 1,874 |
| Other Economics | 55 |
| Development Economics & International Development | 22 |
| Applied Economics | 21 |
| International Economics | 18 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 10,222 |
| Sociology | 4,893 |
| International Relations & National Security | 2,227 |
| Anthropology | 1,745 |
| General Social Sciences | 1,169 |
| Geography & Cartography | 640 |
| Sociology & Anthropology | 109 |
| Other Social Sciences | 82 |
| Urban Studies | 70 |
| Archeology | 22 |