Best colleges for Economics in New York
Ranked by graduate earnings
Barnard College, Cornell University and Columbia University are the top bachelor's Economics programs in New York by graduate earnings. Barnard College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $85,860, College Scorecard. New York University, Columbia University and Binghamton University award the most Economics degrees in New York: 626, 565 and 345 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 68 New York colleges offer Economics and award 4,389 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Economics program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It explores how economies function and how individuals respond to various incentives, making…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barnard College New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $85,860 | 109 | 93% | $24,675 | $16,750 |
| 2 | Cornell University Ithaca Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $84,967 | 258 | 95% | $17,613 | $15,500 |
| 3 | Columbia University New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $83,135 | 565 | 96% | $15,315 | $25,000 |
| 4 | Vassar College Poughkeepsie Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $79,845 | 41 | 91% | $29,107 | $19,000 |
| 5 | Colgate University Hamilton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $77,274 | 118 | 91% | $22,903 | $17,500 |
| 6 | Hamilton College Clinton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $71,350 | 97 | 91% | $20,680 | $18,250 |
| 7 | New York University New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $68,495 | 626 | 88% | $29,023 | $21,250 |
| 8 | University of Rochester Rochester Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $63,475 | 118 | 85% | $25,874 | $19,946 |
| 9 | Union College Schenectady Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $62,846 | 67 | 80% | $25,885 | $27,000 |
| 10 | Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $61,946 | 39 | 77% | $22,374 | $27,000 |
Colleges awarding the most Economics degrees in New York
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York University New York Private not-for-profit | 626 | $68,495 |
| 2 | Columbia University New York Private not-for-profit | 565 | $83,135 |
| 3 | Binghamton University Vestal Public | 345 | $48,120 |
| 4 | Cornell University Ithaca Private not-for-profit | 258 | $84,967 |
| 5 | University at Albany Albany Public | 239 | $37,188 |
| 6 | Syracuse University Syracuse Private not-for-profit | 205 | $55,974 |
| 7 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook Public | 166 | $44,349 |
| 8 | CUNY City College New York Public | 135 | $45,556 |
| 9 | CUNY Hunter College New York Public | 135 | $34,580 |
| 10 | CUNY Queens College Queens Public | 123 | $39,377 |
ShowHide the other 58 New York colleges offering Economics
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colgate University | Hamilton | Private not-for-profit | 118 |
| University of Rochester | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 118 |
| Barnard College | New York | Private not-for-profit | 109 |
| Fordham University | Bronx | Private not-for-profit | 105 |
| University at Buffalo | Buffalo | Public | 104 |
| Hamilton College | Clinton | Private not-for-profit | 97 |
| Union College | Schenectady | Private not-for-profit | 67 |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | New York | Public | 63 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | New York | Public | 61 |
| Pace University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 58 |
| St Lawrence University | Canton | Private not-for-profit | 55 |
| United States Military Academy | West Point | Public | 51 |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie | Private not-for-profit | 41 |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | Geneva | Private not-for-profit | 39 |
| Siena University | Loudonville | Private not-for-profit | 39 |
| Weill Medical College of Cornell University (Graduate only) | New York | Private not-for-profit | 36 |
| The New School | New York | Private not-for-profit | 34 |
| Teachers College at Columbia University (Graduate only) | New York | Private not-for-profit | 34 |
| SUNY Buffalo State University | Buffalo | Public | 27 |
| College of Staten Island CUNY | Staten Island | Public | 26 |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | New York | Public | 22 |
| St. John's University - New York | Queens | Private not-for-profit | 21 |
| SUNY at Purchase College | Purchase | Public | 19 |
| CUNY Lehman College | Bronx | Public | 18 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center (Online) | New York | Public | 17 |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz | Public | 16 |
| Marist University | Poughkeepsie | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| SUNY College at Geneseo | Geneseo | Public | 15 |
| Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs | Private not-for-profit | 14 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | Brooklyn | Public | 13 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Farmingdale State College | Farmingdale | Public | 12 |
| Iona University | New Rochelle | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| Adelphi University | Garden City | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Hofstra University | Hempstead | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Ithaca College | Ithaca | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Manhattan University | Riverdale | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Canisius University | Buffalo | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Le Moyne College | Syracuse | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| St. John Fisher University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Hartwick College | Oneonta | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| St. Joseph's University - New York | Brooklyn | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| SUNY at Fredonia | Fredonia | Public | 5 |
| Yeshiva University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| Bard College | Annandale-On-Hudson | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| CUNY York College | Jamaica | Public | 4 |
| St. Francis College | Brooklyn | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| State University of New York at Cortland | Cortland | Public | 4 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta | Public | 3 |
| State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego | Public | 3 |
| SUNY Old Westbury | Old Westbury | Public | 3 |
| Touro University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Houghton University | Houghton | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Long Island University | Brookville | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Niagara University | Niagara University | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Utica University | Utica | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Economists (SOC 19-3011).
Top skills
What Economists earn in New York
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Economics programs in New York.
Which New York colleges award the most Economics degrees?+
New York University (626 graduates a year), Columbia University (565 graduates a year) and Binghamton University (345 graduates a year) award the most Economics degrees in New York, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 68 New York colleges offer Economics.
What is the best college for Economics in New York?+
By graduate earnings, Barnard College leads among bachelor's Economics programs in New York, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $85,860, College Scorecard. Cornell University and Columbia University follow. By degrees awarded, New York University is the largest, with 626 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Economics program in New York has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Barnard College tops the list at $85,860. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Economists earn in New York?+
The average annual wage for Economists in New York is $168,580 (median $136,660), across about 910 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Economics program?+
The Economics program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It explores how economies function and how individuals respond to various incentives, making…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop critical thinking, mathematics, reading comprehension, speaking, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Economists?+
The national job outlook is about +1.2% growth with around 900 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Master's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card