Best colleges for economics in Pennsylvania
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in economics, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for economics in Pennsylvania53 schools
53 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Pennsylvania.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in economics, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 2
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade A- · Top 13%
- 3
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade A- · Top 15%
- 4
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B
- 5
Villanova University
Villanova, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 2% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 6
Lafayette College
Easton, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 4% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 7
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 3% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 8
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 9
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 10
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 11
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 12
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 13
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 14
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 15
Grove City College
Grove City, PA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- 16
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitTop 6% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 17
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitTop 5% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B
- 18
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA · Private nonprofitExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B
- 19
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA · Private nonprofitTop 10% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 20
Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA · Private nonprofitTop 12% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 21
University of Scranton
Scranton, PA · Private nonprofitTop 11% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
- 22
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofitTop 11% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 23
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA · Private nonprofitTop 15% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 24
Moravian University
Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofitTop 18% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade C+
- 25
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in economics
- Value grade B-
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | About $29,000 | $15,715 | $111,371 | 97% |
| Haverford College | About $25,000 | $13,621 | $79,966 | 90% |
| Swarthmore College | About $23,000 | $17,500 | $80,257 | 92% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | About $32,000 | $21,750 | $114,862 | 94% |
| Villanova University | About $44,000 | $25,874 | $100,423 | 92% |
| Lafayette College | About $34,000 | $16,000 | $91,410 | 88% |
| Bucknell University | About $41,000 | $27,000 | $93,807 | 86% |
| Franklin and Marshall College | About $36,000 | $19,000 | $76,124 | 84% |
| Bryn Mawr College | About $32,000 | $25,000 | $75,217 | 82% |
| Gettysburg College | About $31,000 | $26,999 | $71,517 | 83% |
| Dickinson College | About $38,000 | $19,000 | $70,204 | 80% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | About $30,000 | $24,250 | $66,125 | 86% |
| Pennsylvania State University | About $33,000 | $25,000 | $63,435 | 86% |
| Muhlenberg College | About $29,000 | $25,455 | $69,107 | 82% |
| Grove City College | — | — | — | 83% |
| Drexel University | About $39,000 | $25,325 | $84,648 | 78% |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | About $30,000 | $25,500 | $86,881 | 79% |
| Allegheny College | About $23,000 | $27,000 | $62,069 | 73% |
| Susquehanna University | About $29,000 | $27,000 | $61,723 | 82% |
| Ursinus College | About $31,000 | $27,000 | $73,721 | 73% |
| University of Scranton | About $33,000 | $27,000 | $74,652 | 80% |
| Duquesne University | About $38,000 | $26,244 | $74,742 | 77% |
| Messiah University | About $27,000 | $25,621 | $54,064 | 75% |
| Moravian University | About $31,000 | $26,793 | $61,860 | 72% |
| Elizabethtown College | About $27,000 | $27,000 | $62,399 | 76% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 8
- Arizona 4
- Arkansas 8
- California 54
- Colorado 14
- Connecticut 18
- District of Columbia 8
- Florida 22
- Georgia 15
- Hawaii 3
- Idaho 4
- Illinois 34
- Indiana 25
- Iowa 17
- Kansas 10
- Kentucky 13
- Louisiana 4
- Maine 5
- Maryland 15
- Massachusetts 39
- Michigan 24
- Minnesota 21
- Mississippi 5
- Missouri 18
- Nebraska 7
- New Hampshire 6
- New Jersey 18
- New York 73
- North Carolina 25
- North Dakota 3
- Ohio 41
- Oklahoma 7
- Oregon 14
- Rhode Island 7
- South Carolina 12
- South Dakota 5
- Tennessee 16
- Texas 24
- Utah 7
- Vermont 4
- Virginia 27
- Washington 13
- West Virginia 7
- Wisconsin 19