U.S. median for this major: $79,489.
College Scorecard field of study; 46 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 15% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,907.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $83,654. College Scorecard.
Carnegie Mellon University Economics: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Economics nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Carnegie Mellon University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,097 | $37,844 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $6,994 | $29,095 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $14,468 | $60,187 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $24,865 | $103,438 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $51,480 | $214,157 | 2.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (79% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Economics graduates 4 years after graduating ($144,886) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $109,089 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Economics at Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Economics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University | $144,886 | $22,020 | $31,944 | 94% |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania | $129,985 | $14,000 | $28,699 | 97% |
| 3 | Swarthmore College | $128,051 | $19,500 | $23,149 | 92% |
| 4 | Lafayette College | $112,864 | $19,500 | $34,433 | 88% |
| 5 | Haverford College | $112,050 | — | $25,314 | 90% |
| 6 | Bucknell University | $108,422 | $25,888 | $40,766 | 86% |
| 7 | Villanova University | $100,288 | $27,000 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 8 | Drexel University | $98,178 | $29,000 | $38,509 | 78% |
| 9 | Gettysburg College | $94,295 | $27,000 | $31,490 | 83% |
| 10 | Lebanon Valley College | $93,878 | $27,000 | $26,979 | 65% |
| 11 | Muhlenberg College | $93,760 | $25,298 | $28,905 | 82% |
| 12 | Franklin and Marshall College | $90,368 | $23,048 | $36,425 | 84% |
| 13 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | $87,943 | — | $29,689 | 79% |
| 14 | Susquehanna University | $82,999 | — | $28,819 | 82% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $81,228 | $25,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $81,228 | $25,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University | $81,228 | $25,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 18 | Allegheny College | $79,018 | $27,000 | $22,940 | 73% |
| 19 | Dickinson College | $78,378 | $19,000 | $37,607 | 80% |
| 20 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | $76,549 | $25,782 | $15,350 | 48% |
| 21 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $76,549 | $25,782 | $18,202 | 56% |
| 22 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $76,549 | $25,782 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 23 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $75,865 | $27,000 | $16,804 | 56% |
| 24 | Ursinus College | $75,573 | $27,000 | $30,536 | 73% |
| 25 | Moravian University | $74,527 | $26,848 | $30,670 | 72% |
| 26 | Temple University | $73,154 | $24,250 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 27 | Washington & Jefferson College | $72,305 | $27,000 | $25,002 | 70% |
| 28 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | $69,371 | — | $19,608 | 66% |
| 29 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | $65,946 | — | $20,787 | 58% |
| 30 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | $62,798 | — | $15,699 | 54% |
22 more Pennsylvania colleges offer Economics but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Economics graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Data Scientists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +34.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Carnegie Mellon University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Carnegie Mellon University
- Acceptance rate: 12% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 94% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $114,862
- Full cost breakdown · all 91 majors · overview
Related majors at Carnegie Mellon University
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Business Economics—
- Business Administration$160,783
- Finance—
Carnegie Mellon University Economics questions
How much do Carnegie Mellon University Economics graduates earn?
Economics graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn a median $144,886 four years after graduating and $86,284 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.
How much debt do Carnegie Mellon University Economics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of Carnegie Mellon University is $22,020, about 15% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.
Is Carnegie Mellon University a good school for Economics in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Economics graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn $144,886 four years out, $63,658 above the median for the same major across 31 Pennsylvania colleges ($81,228) and $65,397 above the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Carnegie Mellon University rank for Economics in Pennsylvania?
Of 30 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, Carnegie Mellon University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Economics graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $81,350 in the Pittsburgh, PA area and $72,040 nationally. Others include market research analysts and marketing specialists and data scientists.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Carnegie Mellon University Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).