by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Southwest Region” 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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 2,950 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,930 and $21,274 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region” ranking, we looked at 55 colleges that offer 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.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Blinn College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. This fairly large school is located in Brenham, Texas, and it awarded 218 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Sherman, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Trinity University is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 45 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 132 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Methodist University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region. Located in Dallas, Texas, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 222 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 90%.
Texas Christian University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. This fairly large school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 97 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #7, Southwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Southwestern University is located in Georgetown, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
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 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #8. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 430 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Economics at The University of Texas at Austin
University of Houston landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 247 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Chickasha, Oklahoma, this small public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #11, University of Tulsa did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Tulsa, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 387 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Economics at Texas A&M University - College Station
University of Arizona came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 205 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #14, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 101 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
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 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Dallas did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Irving, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #16. UNM is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 67 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 234 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Texas Tech University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 105 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school handed out 79 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Economics at The University of Texas at Dallas
University of St. Thomas came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Saint Edward’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Austin, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Hardin - Simmons University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Hardin - Simmons is a private not-for-profit institution located in Abilene, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Lubbock Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #23. LCU is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
St. Mary’s University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
