Best Economics Programs in Pennsylvania (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 28 Economics programs in Pennsylvania by median earnings of Economics graduates four years after completing. Carnegie Mellon University leads the list with median earnings of $144,886 for its graduates four years after completing, and University of Pennsylvania follows at $129,985.
The figures range from $144,886 to $42,682, with a median of $82,114 across the listed schools. For 2 of the 28 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 7 public and 21 private nonprofit institutions. University of Pennsylvania ranks 52nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania posts the lowest average net price at $15,699.
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania admits 93% of applicants, the highest admission rate on the page.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $144,886 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University reports median earnings of $144,886 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA | $129,985 | $28,699 | -$3,012* | 5.4% |
| University of Pennsylvania admits 5% of applicants and posts median earnings of $129,985 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Swarthmore College · Swarthmore, PA | $128,051 | $23,149 | $7,690 | 7.5% |
| Swarthmore College carries an average net price of $23,149 and its Economics graduates earn a median of $128,051 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Lafayette College · Easton, PA | $112,864 | $34,433 | $12,716 | 31.5% |
| Lafayette College ranks 4th on this list, with median earnings of $112,864 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Haverford College · Haverford, PA | $112,050 | $25,314 | $7,531 | 12.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left Haverford College with a median of $13,621 in federal loans, while its Economics graduates earned a median of $112,050 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Bucknell University · Lewisburg, PA | $108,422 | $40,766 | $20,980 | 28.9% |
| Bucknell University reports median earnings of $108,422 for its Economics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $40,766. | |||||
| 7 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $100,288 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
| Villanova University ranks 263rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Economics graduates earn a median of $100,288 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $98,178 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
| Drexel University admits 79% of applicants, and its Economics graduates earn a median of $98,178 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Gettysburg College · Gettysburg, PA | $94,295 | $31,490 | $13,625 | 38.9% |
| Gettysburg College reports median federal debt of $26,812 among Economics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $94,295 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Lebanon Valley College · Annville, PA | $93,878 | $26,979 | $20,788 | 83.8% |
| Lebanon Valley College ranks 10th on this list, with an average net price of $26,979 and median earnings of $93,878 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Muhlenberg College · Allentown, PA | $93,760 | $28,905 | $12,302 | 72.0% |
| Muhlenberg College reports median earnings of $93,760 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, and carries an average net price of $12,302 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | Franklin and Marshall College · Lancaster, PA | $90,368 | $36,425 | $12,321 | 28.2% |
| Franklin and Marshall College ranks 496th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Economics graduates earn a median of $90,368 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia · Philadelphia, PA | $87,943 | $29,689 | $22,570 | 88.8% |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia admits 89% of applicants and reports median earnings of $87,943 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Susquehanna University · Selinsgrove, PA | $82,999 | $28,819 | $19,757 | 81.4% |
| Susquehanna University has a median federal debt of $27,000 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Economics completers earn a median of $82,999 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $81,228 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranks 15th on this list and posts median earnings of $81,228 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 369 graduates. | |||||
| 16 | Allegheny College · Meadville, PA | $79,018 | $22,940 | $18,495 | 54.6% |
| With an average net price of $22,940, Allegheny College reports median earnings of $79,018 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Dickinson College · Carlisle, PA | $78,378 | $37,607 | $40,755 | 42.1% |
| Dickinson College carries a median federal debt of $19,000 among Economics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $78,378 four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Pittsburgh, PA | $76,549 | $30,434 | $14,709 | 58.1% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus ranks 485th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $76,549 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania · Indiana, PA | $75,865 | $16,804 | $12,364 | 90.8% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania shows an average net price of $16,804 and median earnings of $75,865 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Ursinus College · Collegeville, PA | $75,573 | $30,536 | $20,622 | 91.8% |
| Ursinus College admits 92% of applicants, and its Economics graduates have median earnings of $75,573 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Moravian University · Bethlehem, PA | $74,527 | $30,670 | $24,609 | 54.2% |
| Moravian University reports a median federal debt of $26,848 among Economics completers who borrowed and median earnings of $74,527 four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | $73,154 | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| Temple University ranks 125th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Economics graduates earn a median of $73,154 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Washington & Jefferson College · Washington, PA | $72,305 | $25,002 | $15,265 | 80.6% |
| With an average net price of $25,002, Washington & Jefferson College reports median earnings of $72,305 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania · Slippery Rock, PA | $69,371 | $19,608 | $12,555 | 71.5% |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania's borrowers who completed across all fields left with a median federal debt of $25,000, and its Economics completers earn a median of $69,371 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania · Millersville, PA | $65,946 | $20,787 | $14,565 | 86.2% |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania reports median earnings of $65,946 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 86%. | |||||
| 26 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania · Bloomsburg, PA | $62,798 | $15,699 | $11,374 | 93.1% |
| With an average net price of $15,699, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania is the lowest on this list and ranks 401st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 27 | University of Scranton · Scranton, PA | $47,260 | $32,568 | $23,896 | 81.2% |
| University of Scranton, a private nonprofit university in Scranton, shows median earnings of $47,260 for its Economics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $23,896 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 28 | Lycoming College · Williamsport, PA | $42,682 | $19,140 | $12,151 | 74.1% |
| Lycoming College admits 74% of applicants and its Economics graduates earned a median of $42,682 four years after completing, with a cohort of 12 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Economics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Pennsylvania appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of Economics programs who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 28 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from Carnegie Mellon University at $144,886 to the lowest listed program at $42,682 spans $102,204, with a gap of $14,901 between Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pennsylvania.
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