Economics

Economics is the largest program at Williams with 134 graduates per year. Median earnings are $80,888 at one year and $166,678 at four years -- the four-year figure is striking and reflects the strong finance and consulting placement Williams economics graduates achieve. Median debt is $12,925 and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.160 earns an ROI grade of A. Many Williams economics graduates enter two-year analyst programs at investment banks or consulting firms before pursuing MBAs, which produces strong four-year earnings as those graduates move into associate roles. The Williams economics curriculum has a mathematical orientation and the small class sizes mean genuine faculty mentorship rather than lecture-hall instruction. Students considering Williams for economics should weigh the difference in recruiting scale versus the stronger per-student outcomes relative to larger economics programs.

Economics is Duke's second-largest program at 199 graduates: $98,649 year-one and $161,149 year-four. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.136 (ROI grade A) with median debt of $13,437. Duke economics graduates are among the best-placed in consulting and investment banking in the Southeast and nationally, with active recruiting pipelines at bulge-bracket banks and major consulting firms. The year-one figure of $98k is the second-highest in this cohort for economics (behind Harvard's $103k), and the year-four trajectory to $161k reflects promotion into senior analyst and associate roles in finance and consulting.

132 graduates with 1-year earnings of $103,041 and 4-year earnings of $160,763. Debt-to-earnings ratio 0.109 (grade: A). Princeton economics graduates enter Wall Street investment banks, top consulting firms, and federal economic policy positions at rates that few universities match. The senior thesis requirement produces analysts who can do rigorous original work -- a differentiator in quantitative finance and research roles. Combined with median debt of just $11,250, this is one of the cleanest ROI calculations in American higher education.

Economics is the dominant program at UChicago by volume: 622 graduates, $92,075 year-one and $159,578 year-four. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.143 (ROI grade A) with median debt of $13,197. The UChicago economics curriculum is among the most mathematically rigorous in the country at the undergraduate level, and the placement into finance, consulting, and graduate economics programs reflects that. The $159k four-year figure competes with Harvard economics ($155k) and Duke economics ($161k), confirming that UChicago economics graduates arrive in the same cohort of employer targets. The 622-graduate volume means this pipeline is large and well-established.

Economics is Harvard's largest program at 258 graduates, and the numbers are strong: $103,993 at year one and $155,592 at year four. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.064 (ROI grade A) is exceptional -- graduates borrow a median $6,617 against $104,000 year-one earnings. This is the lowest debt-to-earnings ratio in this cohort for economics. Harvard economics graduates cluster into investment banking (bulge bracket and elite boutiques), management consulting (McKinsey, Bain, BCG), economic research, and graduate programs. The $155k four-year figure is the composite of a cohort with finance and consulting trajectories pulling up the median.

Economics is Dartmouth's largest program at 196 graduates: $94,675 year-one and $152,929 year-four. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.194 (ROI grade A) with median debt of $18,400. Dartmouth economics graduates feed into investment banking, management consulting, and financial services at high rates, partly driven by the D-Plan's structured off-term internship opportunities. The year-one figure of $94k is strong for economics nationally and reflects the finance pipeline. Median debt of $18,400 is higher than for economics at most peer schools in this cohort, which compresses the clean debt-to-earnings picture somewhat.

Economics is CMC's defining program and its strongest ROI signal: 124 graduates, $89,505 year-one, $146,524 year-four, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.134 (ROI grade A). Median debt of $12,000 against $89,505 year-one earnings means most graduates pay off their debt in less than a year of working. The four-year figure of $146k reflects CMC's direct pipeline into Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Bain, and similar firms. Among all liberal arts college economics programs in the dataset, this is among the top performers.

Economics is Yale's largest program at 182 graduates, and the outcomes justify the volume: $82,617 median year-one earnings and $142,936 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.160 (ROI grade A). Economics graduates from Yale move into investment banking, management consulting, policy roles at government agencies and NGOs, and graduate study at the most selective economics programs globally. The $142k four-year figure reflects the consulting and finance pipelines more than the policy track, where near-term earnings are lower but long-run trajectories are strong. Median debt of $13,250 is low relative to earnings velocity.

Economics is the highest-enrollment, highest-earning program at Amherst with sufficient outcome data: 69 graduates, $90,568 median at one year, $141,730 at four years (ROI grade A, debt-to-earnings 0.184). These are outcomes comparable to economics programs at research universities three times Amherst's size. The four-year figure reflects the finance, consulting, and technology sector pipelines that Amherst economics alumni access via the college's alumni network and recruiting relationships with major financial institutions and consulting firms. Median debt of $16,662 is low given the sticker price, confirming that financial aid absorbs most of the cost for typical students.