Economics at Penn State
Penn State graduates about 356 economics majors a year, 4% of its graduating class. That puts it 111th of 683 schools we score for economics, a strong program at 77 out of 100. Its current catalog lists 76 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 95% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $81,000 four years out, about the national figure for the same major. Research spending in the field runs about $21 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.
Around Penn State




Where economics happens
Buildings on campus that fit the field: Hostetter Business Services, Business Building.
Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 279 · Dorm 62 · Student housing 45 · Athletics 13 · Arts 13 · Dining 8.
Nearby in the economics ranking
Other strong majors at Penn State
- Communications & media 89 · #20
- Computer science 87 · #49
- Business & finance 84 · #43
- Environmental science 84 · #53
- Political science & IR 83 · #71
- Math & statistics 83 · #69
How the score works
The score is out of 100 and compares Penn State with every school we score in economics. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.