top 10 econ phd programs

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• Resources for Students
• Preparing for graduate school

Program rankings

The following organizations rank graduate economics programs using various approaches:

• US News and World Report 2023 Best Economics Schools
• US News and World Report Ranking of the Best Global Universities for Economics and Business
• RePEc Ranking of Institutions
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2011 Ranking

Academic research evaluating economics programs

• Amir, Rabah and Malgorzata Knauff. 2008. " Ranking Economics Departments Worldwide on the Basis of PhD Placement ." Review of Economics and Statistics , 90 (1), pp. 185-90.
• Grijalva, Therese C. and Clifford Nowell. 2008. " A Guide to Graduate Study in Economics: Ranking Economics Departments by Fields of Expertise ." Southern Economic Journal , 74 (4), pp. 971-96.
• Kalaitzidakis, Pantelis, Theofanis P. Mamuneas, and Thanasis Stengos. 2011. " An Updated Ranking of Academic Journals in Economics ." The Canadian Journal of Economics , 44(4):1525-1538.
• McPherson, Michael A. 2012. " Ranking US Economics Programs by Faculty and Graduate Publications: An Update Using 1994-2009 Data ." Southern Economic Journal , 79 (1): 71-89.  

Graduate degrees in economics

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2025 Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 49 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,395 doctor's degrees in economics to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Economics School for Your Doctor's Degree

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on economics students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of economics students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Student Debt - How easy is it for economics to pay back their student loans after receiving their doctor's degree.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized economics related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for economics students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 the Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Economics in the United States

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for economics students seeking a a doctor's degree.

10 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Economics

Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a doctor's degree in economics. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. More information about a doctorate in economics from Northwestern University

University of Pennsylvania is a good decision for students interested in a doctor's degree in economics. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in economics from University of Pennsylvania

It is hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in economics. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in economics from Columbia University in the City of New York

Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in economics has to look into University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in economics from University of Chicago

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. More information about a doctorate in economics from Cornell University

Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge. More information about a doctorate in economics from Harvard University

Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. More information about a doctorate in economics from Stanford University

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in economics from Duke University

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley. More information about a doctorate in economics from University of California - Berkeley

Located in the medium-sized city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in economics from Brown University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Economics students that almost earned our Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools award.

Economics by Region

View the Best Economics Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best associate degrees in economics, best master's degrees in economics, best value in economics, best for non-traditional students in economics, best online in economics, most popular online in economics, best bachelor's degrees in economics, best overall in economics, highest paid grads in economics, best for veterans in economics, most popular in economics, most focused in economics.

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Economics Related Rankings by Major

Economics is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Economics Concentrations

Majors similar to economics, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay . More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

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Doctor of Economics Programs in America

1-25 of 50 results

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

• Cambridge, MA ·
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology ·
• Graduate School

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Graduate School, CAMBRIDGE, MA.

Stanford Graduate School of Business

• Stanford, CA ·
• Stanford University ·
• · Rating 4.33 out of 5   6 reviews

Stanford University, Graduate School, STANFORD, CA. 6 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says Classes are often taught by world class professors with significant knowledge and experiences about their topics. Downside is mostly about the cost involved in getting an MBA, which can be very high.... Read 6 reviews.

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

• Harvard University ·
• · Rating 4.56 out of 5   9 reviews

Harvard University, Graduate School, CAMBRIDGE, MA. 9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars. Featured Review: Other says I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student'... Read 9 reviews.

Lehigh University

• Graduate School ·
• BETHLEHEM, PA
• · Rating 4.45 out of 5   22

Colorado School of Mines

• · Rating 4.33 out of 5   12

College of Business - Lehigh University

• Lehigh University ·

Princeton University

• Princeton, NJ ·
• · Rating 4.33 out of 5   3 reviews

Graduate School, PRINCETON, NJ. 3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help... Read 3 reviews.

Sanford School of Public Policy

• Durham, NC ·
• Duke University ·
• · Rating 4.75 out of 5   4 reviews

Duke University, Graduate School, DURHAM, NC. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars. Featured Review: Current Master's student says My academic experience at Duke has been the most rewarding in my life. What makes Duke so great is the opportunity through the Sanford Policy School to exchange and engage ideas with professors and... Read 4 reviews.

Brown University Graduate School

• Providence, RI ·
• Brown University ·
• · Rating 5 out of 5   4 reviews

Brown University, Graduate School, PROVIDENCE, RI. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says This is my first semester in the biotechnology program. The program manager is helpful and commutative. I have found a great lab match for my research interests. My classes are interesting. I have... Read 4 reviews.

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School of Engineering and Applied Science - University of Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia, PA ·
• University of Pennsylvania ·

University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

• Evanston, IL ·
• Northwestern University ·

Northwestern University, Graduate School, EVANSTON, IL.

Olin Business School

• St. Louis, MO ·
• Washington University in St. Louis ·
• · Rating 4 out of 5   7 reviews

Washington University in St. Louis, Graduate School, ST. LOUIS, MO. 7 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The enrolment process was an absolute pleasure. Being able to sit in on classes and interact with faculty and students was a fantastic opportunity. It gave me a real feel for the academic dynamic and... Read 7 reviews.

Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences - California Institute of Technology

• Pasadena, CA ·
• California Institute of Technology ·

California Institute of Technology, Graduate School, PASADENA, CA.

Mendoza College of Business

• Notre Dame, IN ·
• University of Notre Dame ·
• · Rating 4.82 out of 5   11 reviews

University of Notre Dame, Graduate School, NOTRE DAME, IN. 11 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says It was a great smooth transition for the accounting immersion program for the summer. TA were available for office hours and questions as she was an alum of the program. The professor was also... Read 11 reviews.

Social Sciences Division - University of Chicago

• Chicago, IL ·
• University of Chicago ·
• · Rating 3.75 out of 5   4 reviews

University of Chicago, Graduate School, CHICAGO, IL. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The University of Chicago offers many clubs you can attend. Do to COIVD most of the clubs meet online and some in person one day out of the week. There's boxing, archery, fencing, and one of my... Read 4 reviews.

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Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences

• Pittsburgh, PA ·
• Carnegie Mellon University ·

Blue checkmark. Carnegie Mellon University, Graduate School, PITTSBURGH, PA.

Scheller College of Business

• Atlanta, GA ·
• Georgia Institute of Technology ·
• · Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Georgia Institute of Technology, Graduate School, ATLANTA, GA. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The program has been challenging but very rewarding. The professors have been helpful during office hours and the material is very engaging and relevant to real-world workplace issues. Read 2 reviews.

Haas School of Business

• Berkeley, CA ·
• University of California - Berkeley ·
• · Rating 5 out of 5   3 reviews

Blue checkmark. University of California - Berkeley, Graduate School, BERKELEY, CA. 3 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says I am a new EWMBA admit at Haas and so far the experience has been fantastic! It's a close-knit community of intellectual, humble, and talented working professionals. Read 3 reviews.

D'Amore-McKim School of Business

• Boston, MA ·
• Northeastern University ·
• · Rating 2.5 out of 5   4 reviews

Northeastern University, Graduate School, BOSTON, MA. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 2.5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says Recently began my journey in the GSPA MS in Accounting/ MBA program! So far classes have been tailored to students with nonbusiness/ accounting allowing for any interested parties to join. Teachers... Read 4 reviews.

McCombs School of Business

• Austin, TX ·
• University of Texas - Austin ·
• · Rating 4.57 out of 5   14 reviews

University of Texas - Austin, Graduate School, AUSTIN, TX. 14 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says Being in the accounting program at UT Austin has been a remarkable opportunity for me. The best part of being an accounting major at McCombs is the diverse set of classes that students can utilize to... Read 14 reviews.

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - Boston University

• Boston University ·

Blue checkmark. Boston University, Graduate School, BOSTON, MA.

College of Letters & Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Madison, WI ·
• University of Wisconsin-Madison ·
• · Rating 4.22 out of 5   9 reviews

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Graduate School, MADISON, WI. 9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars. Featured Review: Alum says Aside from being really cold, UW-Madison is a great school. Needless to say, it is one of the top schools in the U.S. with a beautiful campus that has Lake Mendota and a lot of student life to enjoy.... Read 9 reviews.

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences - University of Illinois

• Urbana, IL ·
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ·

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Graduate School, URBANA, IL.

School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ·

Blue checkmark. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Graduate School, TROY, NY.

College of Letters and Science - UC Santa Barbara

• Santa Barbara, CA ·
• University of California - Santa Barbara ·

University of California - Santa Barbara, Graduate School, SANTA BARBARA, CA.

College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering - University of Rochester

• Rochester, NY ·
• University of Rochester ·
• · Rating 4 out of 5   2 reviews

Blue checkmark. University of Rochester, Graduate School, ROCHESTER, NY. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Alum says The Optics program is the toughest offered at the school. Optics grads do twice as much (60 credit hours instead of 30) class work as other degrees. You learn a ton! The field is so diverse you can... Read 2 reviews.

College of Science - Purdue University

• West Lafayette, IN ·
• Purdue University ·

Purdue University, Graduate School, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN.

• Golden, CO ·
• · Rating 4.33 out of 5   12 reviews

Blue checkmark. Graduate School, GOLDEN, CO. 12 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars. Featured Review: Other says My goal for applying for this scholarship is to be able to help my family and myself achieve my dream. Which is to better the world. But with the increase of college prices and taking out loans just... Read 12 reviews.

Showing results 1 through 25 of 50

PhD Program

Year after year, our top-ranked PhD program sets the standard for graduate economics training across the country. Graduate students work closely with our world-class faculty to develop their own research and prepare to make impactful contributions to the field.

Our doctoral program enrolls 20-24 full-time students each year and students complete their degree in five to six years. Students undertake core coursework in microeconomic theory, macroeconomics, and econometrics, and are expected to complete two major and two minor fields in economics. Beyond the classroom, doctoral students work in close collaboration with faculty to develop their research capabilities, gaining hands-on experience in both theoretical and empirical projects.

How to apply

Students are admitted to the program once per year for entry in the fall. The online application opens on September 15 and closes on December 15.

Meet our students

Our PhD graduates go on to teach in leading economics departments, business schools, and schools of public policy, or pursue influential careers with organizations and businesses around the world.