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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Economics

925 Ranked Colleges
49,055 Degrees Awarded
$32,100 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking analyzed 925 colleges that offered a degree in economics. That schools that top this list have a program in economics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

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The economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for economics students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Economics

1
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Pardee RAND Graduate School
Santa Monica, California

Out of the 925 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Pardee RAND Graduate School landed the #1 spot on the list. Pardee RAND Graduate School is located in Santa Monica, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Economics at Pardee RAND Graduate School

2
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Economics at Claremont McKenna

3
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College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of the Holy Cross. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 140 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full College of the Holy Cross Economics Report

4
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Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hampden - Sydney College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major. Hampden - Sydney is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Economics at Hampden - Sydney

5
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Centre College
Danville, Kentucky

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Centre College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major. Centre College is a small school located in Danville, Kentucky that handed out 63 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Economics at Centre College of Kentucky

6
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DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, DePauw University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. This small school is located in Greencastle, Indiana, and it awarded 90 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full DePauw Economics Report

7
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. This small school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 110 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Lafayette Economics Report

8
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United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

United States Naval Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Annapolis, Maryland, and it awarded 166 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at United States Naval Academy

9

Hobart and William Smith Colleges did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #9. Geneva, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Economics at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

10
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #10. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Economics at Williams College

11
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Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina

Davidson College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Davidson College is located in Davidson, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 84 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Davidson Economics Report

12
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Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 325 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Brandeis

13
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Tougaloo College
Tougaloo, Mississippi

With a ranking of #13, Tougaloo College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Tougaloo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tougaloo, Mississippi. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Tougaloo Economics Report

14
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Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

With a ranking of #14, Colorado College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Colorado College is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Colorado College Economics Report

15
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Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Hamilton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 117 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Colgate

16
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

With a ranking of #16, Hamilton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Clinton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Hamilton Economics Report

17
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Economics at Swarthmore

18
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Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Ursinus College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Ursinus College is a small school located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania that handed out 48 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ursinus Economics Report

19
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Frostburg State University
Frostburg, Maryland

Frostburg State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Frostburg, Maryland, and it awarded 165 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at Frostburg State University

20
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Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Bucknell University is a small school located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 135 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Bucknell University

21
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Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #21. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Wellesley

22
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Denison University
Granville, Ohio

Denison University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 74 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Economics at Denison

23
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Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Barnard College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 79 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Barnard Economics Report

24
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Pomona College

25
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Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine

With a ranking of #25, Bowdoin College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Bowdoin College is located in Brunswick, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Bowdoin

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia
27
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Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut
28
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Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
29
30
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St Lawrence University
Canton, New York
31
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Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana
32
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California
33
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Colby College
Waterville, Maine
34
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
35
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Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
36
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine
37
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St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland
38
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St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
39
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Connecticut College
New London, Connecticut
40
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
41
42
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan
43
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Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia
44
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Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
45
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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
46
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
47
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Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
48
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Covenant College
Lookout Mountain, Georgia
49
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
50
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Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Haverford College Haverford, PA
52 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
53 Lyon College Batesville, AR
54 Queens College Queens, NY
55 West Valley College Saratoga, CA
56 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
57 Amherst College Amherst, MA
58 Principia College Elsah, IL
58 Washington College Chestertown, MD
60 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
61 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
62 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
63 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
64 Spelman College Atlanta, GA
65 Brown University Providence, RI
Rank College Location
66 Lycoming College Williamsport, PA
67 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
68 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
69 College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA
70 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
71 Hendrix College Conway, AR
72 Blinn College Brenham, TX
73 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
74 Knox College Galesburg, IL
75 Wesleyan College Macon, GA
76 Utah State University Logan, UT
77 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
78 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
79 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
80 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
81 University at Albany Albany, NY
82 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
83 Drew University Madison, NJ
84 Austin College Sherman, TX
85 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
86 Carleton College Northfield, MN
87 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
88 Tufts University Medford, MA
89 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
90 Yale University New Haven, CT
Rank College Location
91 United States Military Academy West Point, NY
92 Smith College Northampton, MA
93 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
94 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
95 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
96 Monmouth College Monmouth, IL
97 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
98 Rice University Houston, TX
99 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
100 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
101 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
102 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
103 Ripon College Ripon, WI
104 Canada College Redwood City, CA
105 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
106 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
107 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
108 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
109 Clark University Worcester, MA
110 Beloit College Beloit, WI
111 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
112 Scripps College Claremont, CA
113 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
114 Reed College Portland, OR
115 Grossmont College El Cajon, CA
Rank College Location
116 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
117 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
118 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
119 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
120 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
121 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
122 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
123 Providence College Providence, RI
124 Furman University Greenville, SC
125 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
126 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
127 Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA
128 Siena College Loudonville, NY
129 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
130 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
131 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
132 Folsom Lake College Folsom, CA
133 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
134 Moravian College Bethlehem, PA
135 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
136 Boston University Boston, MA
137 Hanover College Hanover, IN
138 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
139 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY

Notes and References

References

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