Economics
What you'll do in college
Economics majors study how people, companies, and governments make decisions and how those decisions shape the world. Core coursework includes micro and macro theory, statistics, econometrics, and a wide range of electives—labor economics, development, behavioral economics, environmental economics, public finance.
Math expectations vary: some programs are very mathematical, others more conceptual. Many students do undergraduate research or write a senior thesis using real data.
What you'll do after college
Economics is one of the most flexible majors. Grads go into consulting, finance, tech, government (think Federal Reserve, Treasury, Congressional Budget Office), nonprofits, journalism, and law school. Many pursue master's or PhD programs in economics, public policy, or business.
The major is valued because it teaches a way of thinking about incentives, trade-offs, and data that applies almost anywhere. Pay is solid and rises significantly with graduate degrees.
Famous graduates
- Milton Friedman — Nobel laureate and influential economist; B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Rutgers University
- Ben Bernanke — Former Fed chair; B.A. in Economics from Harvard University
- Janet Yellen — U.S. Treasury Secretary and former Fed chair; B.A. in Economics from Brown University
- Sheryl Sandberg - Former COO of Meta, B.A. in Economics from Harvard University
- Steve Ballmer — Former CEO of Microsoft; B.A. in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Harvard University
- Susan Athey — Prominent tech economist; B.A. in Economics, Computer Science, and Mathematics from Duke University
- Brian Armstrong - CEO of Coinbase, B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from Rice University
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | 745 | 32,989 | 66% / 33% | 17% | $84,359 |
| Economics | 638 | 26,156 | 67% / 32% | 17% | $82,973 |
| Quantitative Economics | 55 | 1,516 | 68% / 32% | 25% | $89,961 |
| Managerial Economics | 67 | 1,409 | 62% / 38% | 12% | $88,624 |
| Business Economics | 73 | 990 | 73% / 27% | 12% | $80,835 |
| Economics & Business Economics | 1 | 738 | 55% / 45% | 18% | $89,189 |
| International Economics | 22 | 353 | 42% / 58% | 20% | $79,046 |
| Mathematical Economics | 11 | 278 | 61% / 39% | 29% | $155,343 |
| Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences | 1 | 238 | 61% / 39% | 16% | $126,908 |
| Applied Economics | 21 | 214 | 64% / 36% | 6% | $83,520 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Services | 3 | 201 | 22% / 78% | 1% | $52,848 |
| Quantitative Business Economics | 1 | 135 | 64% / 36% | 40% | $88,353 |
| Political Economy | 12 | 132 | 54% / 46% | 3% | $75,122 |
| Economics (Quantitative) | 1 | 128 | 72% / 28% | 22% | $73,893 |
| Business Management Economics | 1 | 103 | 70% / 30% | 19% | $77,768 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 1 | 66 | 68% / 32% | 42% | $92,112 |
| Economics and Mathematical Sciences | 1 | 46 | 57% / 43% | 28% | $135,109 |
| Economics and Business | 1 | 43 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $84,767 |
| Consumer Economics | 1 | 41 | 54% / 46% | 5% | $71,030 |
| Law, Economics, and Public Policy | 1 | 41 | 51% / 49% | 10% | |
| Economics and Strategy | 1 | 27 | 70% / 30% | 0% | |
| Economics and Computer Science | 5 | 25 | 64% / 36% | 16% | |
| Mathematical Economic Analysis | 1 | 24 | 67% / 33% | 38% | $108,070 |
| Development Economics and International Development | 7 | 17 | 59% / 41% | 18% | $105,531 |
| Development Economics | 2 | 16 | 44% / 56% | 6% | $89,303 |
| Business Economics & Public Policy | 1 | 13 | 54% / 46% | 8% | |
| Community and International Development | 1 | 13 | 31% / 69% | 0% | $61,304 |
| Economics and Mathematics | 1 | 7 | 57% / 43% | 57% | |
| International Studies - Economics | 1 | 6 | 17% / 83% | 0% | $67,955 |
| Mathematical Economics (Course 14-2) | 1 | 6 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Applied Economic Analysis | 1 | 5 | 80% / 20% | 0% | $85,461 |
| International Economic Relations | 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $72,027 |