Best Universities for Economics & Finance in United States 2026

Economics & Finance programs

• Department of Economics — Ranked number 1 globally with 29 Nobel laureates in Economics, foundational contributions to monetarism, rational expectations, and law-and-economics, unmatched PhD placement at top institutions worldwide

Economics & Finance programs

• Economics — Multiple Nobel laureates on faculty (Angus Deaton 2015, Christopher Sims 2011). Second-most popular major with 302 juniors and seniors. The Bendheim Center for Finance provides a dedicated undergraduate pathway to quantitative finance roles at Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater, and Citadel.
• Operations Research and Financial Engineering — Bridges applied mathematics, probability theory, and financial markets in a programme that feeds directly into quantitative trading firms. Enrolled 139 juniors and seniors in 2024-25, making it the seventh-most popular concentration despite its technical demands.

Economics & Finance programs

• Department of Economics — Ranked top 15 nationally with particular strength in labor economics, econometrics, and public economics, producing influential research and PhD placements

Economics & Finance programs

• Center for Development Economics — A one-year master's program for mid-career economists from developing countries, running since 1960. Provides Williams undergraduates with cross-generational research and teaching assistant opportunities and adds international texture to the otherwise undergraduate-only campus.
• Economics Department — Among the strongest undergraduate economics departments in the US, with consistent feeder pipelines to top PhD programs and to investment banking, hedge funds, and consulting. Senior thesis culture is strong; faculty publish actively in top journals while teaching primarily undergraduates.

Economics & Finance programs

• Department of Economics — Among the strongest undergraduate economics departments in the US with consistent feeder pipelines to top PhD programs (MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago) and to investment banking, hedge funds, and consulting. Senior thesis culture is strong; faculty publish actively in top journals while teaching primarily undergraduates. Joseph Stiglitz (Nobel laureate, 2001) is the most prominent alumnus.

Economics & Finance programs

• BSc Economics — One of the largest and most influential majors. Strong placement into McKinsey Boston, Bain Boston, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and graduate economics PhD programmes at MIT, Harvard, and Princeton. Faculty includes economists active in macroeconomic policy and gender economics.

Economics & Finance programs

• Economics — Among the strongest LAC economics programs nationally, with cross-registration into CMC's quantitative finance and public policy courses producing a combined economics ecosystem comparable to mid-sized universities. Top placement at McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and major investment banks.

Economics & Finance programs

• BA Economics — Nationally competitive department with strong graduate school and finance placement. Faculty supervise senior theses one-on-one. Students cross-register with Bryn Mawr and Haverford for additional course depth, and Quaker Consortium access permits Wharton coursework when relevant.

Economics & Finance programs

• BA Economics — Colgate's flagship and one of the largest departments. Curriculum tightly aligned to Wall Street recruiting — corporate finance, financial markets, econometrics, and applied economics taught with explicit pre-professional orientation. Senior project expected. The strongest single feeder into NYC investment-banking analyst programs at Goldman, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and major boutiques.

Economics & Finance programs

• BA Economics (Robert Day School of Economics and Finance) — CMC's flagship and most popular major. Curriculum spans micro, macro, econometrics, financial economics, and applied policy work, with Robert Day Scholars program providing additional finance-track preparation, summer internship support, and alumni mentorship to selected students. Senior thesis required. Strong placement into investment banking, management consulting, and PhD economics programs.
• MS Finance (one-year graduate program, launched 2024) — Standalone master's launched in 2024 within the Robert Day School. One-year intensive curriculum covering financial modeling, valuation, derivatives, and corporate finance, with summer internship placement and direct CMC alumni network access. Designed for both CMC graduates extending into a 4+1 model and external applicants seeking a focused finance credential.
• BA Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) — Interdisciplinary joint major drawing on the Salvatori Center, Lowe Institute, and Government department. Modeled loosely on the Oxford PPE program, the curriculum requires depth in all three disciplines and a senior thesis. Strong placement into law school, policy work, and PhD programs in any of the constituent fields.

Economics & Finance programs

• Tepper School of Business (MBA) — Ranked sixteenth nationally and rising. STEM-designated MBA qualifying for thirty-six-month OPT. Number one in business analytics for five consecutive years. Strongest AI and quantitative integration of any MBA programme.

Economics & Finance programs

• BA Economics — Academically oriented department with strong placement into PhD economics programs, finance, consulting, and policy work. Curriculum spans micro, macro, econometrics, and applied policy, with faculty research aligning with international development, environmental economics, and labor economics. Senior thesis option but not universally required.

Economics & Finance programs

• Economics (STEM-designated) — Carries CIP code 45.0603 (Econometrics and Quantitative Economics), qualifying graduates for 36-month OPT work authorization. This is a decisive advantage for international students targeting consulting or finance careers in the United States.

Economics & Finance programs

• Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management — Ranked second nationally among undergraduate business programs by Poets and Quants. The AEM major carries a STEM-designated CIP code, granting international graduates 36 months of post-graduation work authorization — a structural advantage no traditional business degree offers.

Economics & Finance programs

• BA Economics and BA International Studies — Emory College's most popular non-business undergraduate concentrations. International Studies offers a strong global health and global affairs track that links into Rollins and the Carter Center, the former-president Carter-founded human rights organization headquartered on the Emory campus.

Economics & Finance programs

• BA Economics — One of UVA's largest and most respected majors, consistently ranked top 25 nationally. Strong placement into investment banking, consulting, federal economic agencies, and top economics PhD programs. Faculty maintain visible presence in DC policy circles and the Federal Reserve system.