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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Economics in the Plains States Region

84 Ranked Colleges
2,132 Degrees Awarded
$30,000 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Plains States region, there were 2,132 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,488 and $23,349 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 84 colleges that offer a degree in economics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in economics.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 the Plains States Region”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Economics in the Plains States Region

1
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Macalester College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region. Macalester is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 57 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Macalester Economics Report

2
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St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 84 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at St. Olaf

3
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

Out of the 84 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Grinnell College landed the #3 spot on the list. Grinnell, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Grinnell College

4
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Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota

Out of the 84 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Johns University landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Collegeville, Minnesota, and it awarded 27 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full Saint Johns University Economics Report

5
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 84 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Carleton College landed the #5 spot on the list. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 30 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Carleton Economics Report

6
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Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region list. Gustavus Adolphus College is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Gustavus Adolphus Economics Report

7

Fort Hays State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Fort Hays State University is a public institution located in Hays, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at Fort Hays State University

8
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Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Coe College

9

University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at University of Minnesota - Morris

10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 417 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UMN Twin Cities

11
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Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa

Simpson College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Indianola, Iowa. It awarded 10 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Simpson College

12
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William Jewell College
Liberty, Missouri

William Jewell College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region list. William Jewell College is a small school located in Liberty, Missouri that handed out 6 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full William Jewell College Economics Report

13
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Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Luther College

14
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 110 ’s economics degrees 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 7 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 1.1% 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%.

Full WUSTL Economics Report

15
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Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at Augsburg University

16
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Central College
Pella, Iowa

Central College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pella, Iowa. It awarded 5 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Central

17

Westminster College Missouri did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. Westminster Fulton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fulton, Missouri. It awarded 3 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Economics at Westminster Fulton

18
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Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Truman State University is a public institution located in Kirksville, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Truman State University

19
UST MN crest
University of St Thomas Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 51 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at University of St Thomas Minnesota

20
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University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read more about Economics at KU

21
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Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region list. Creighton University is a medium-sized school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 45 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Creighton University

22
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Benedictine College
Atchison, Kansas

Benedictine College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Benedictine College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Atchison, Kansas. It awarded 8 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Benedictine College

23
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 135 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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 full report on Economics at University of Iowa

24

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 115 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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.

Read more about Economics at Mizzou

25
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Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Economics Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full Drake Economics Report

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