U.S. median for this major: $79,489.
College Scorecard field of study; 150 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 18% 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 $89,472. College Scorecard.
Columbia University in the City of New York 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 Columbia University in the City of New York'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 | $4,570 | $19,148 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $2,275 | $9,532 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $5,866 | $24,579 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $11,782 | $49,367 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $50,621 | $212,102 | 2.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (80% 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 ($137,710) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $103,077 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 New York colleges
Every New York 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 | Cornell University | $137,935 | $15,500 | $28,690 | 95% |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $137,710 | $25,000 | $21,590 | 96% |
| 3 | Hamilton College | $130,633 | $18,250 | $28,985 | 91% |
| 4 | Colgate University | $128,887 | $17,500 | $28,786 | 91% |
| 5 | Marist University | $118,557 | $26,000 | $41,544 | 80% |
| 6 | New York University | $116,510 | $21,250 | $37,050 | 88% |
| 7 | Barnard College | $111,909 | $16,750 | $28,800 | 93% |
| 8 | Hobart William Smith Colleges | $111,833 | $27,000 | $31,563 | 77% |
| 9 | University of Rochester | $109,324 | $19,946 | $29,278 | 85% |
| 10 | Vassar College | $102,584 | $19,000 | $39,343 | 91% |
| 11 | Union College | $99,783 | $27,000 | $34,561 | 80% |
| 12 | St Lawrence University | $96,345 | $26,000 | $28,651 | 79% |
| 13 | Fordham University | $94,170 | $24,000 | $44,338 | 82% |
| 14 | Siena College | $90,802 | $27,000 | $33,733 | 75% |
| 15 | State University of New York at Oswego | $87,667 | — | $16,236 | 60% |
| 16 | St. John's University-New York | $84,639 | $23,250 | $29,999 | 66% |
| 17 | SUNY College at Geneseo | $84,529 | $20,824 | $18,211 | 71% |
| 18 | Syracuse University | $83,649 | $26,000 | $38,793 | 84% |
| 19 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | $83,354 | $11,758 | $3,033 | 72% |
| 20 | Pace University | $82,118 | $25,937 | $30,892 | 60% |
| 21 | Binghamton University | $81,040 | $19,919 | $21,620 | 82% |
| 22 | Stony Brook University | $74,965 | $21,550 | $18,784 | 76% |
| 23 | College of Staten Island CUNY | $70,747 | $16,520 | $5,579 | 34% |
| 24 | University at Buffalo | $70,720 | $20,225 | $20,995 | 75% |
| 25 | CUNY Hunter College | $69,920 | $14,000 | $2,984 | 57% |
| 26 | CUNY City College | $67,679 | $7,300 | $3,776 | 57% |
| 27 | Canisius University | $65,757 | $25,500 | $17,940 | 66% |
| 28 | CUNY Queens College | $65,049 | $9,500 | $4,195 | 53% |
| 29 | University at Albany | $63,331 | $24,474 | $17,167 | 61% |
| 30 | SUNY at Purchase College | $63,207 | $23,250 | $18,913 | 63% |
| 31 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | $63,155 | $24,693 | $17,156 | 59% |
| 32 | St. John Fisher University | $60,920 | — | $28,945 | 74% |
| 33 | SUNY Buffalo State University | $58,497 | $26,000 | $11,346 | 33% |
| 34 | CUNY York College | $56,571 | — | $4,456 | 32% |
| 35 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | $55,706 | $11,750 | $3,203 | 56% |
39 more New York 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 Columbia University in the City of New York, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Columbia University in the City of New York
- Acceptance rate: 4% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 96% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $102,491
- Full cost breakdown · all 67 majors · overview
Columbia University in the City of New York Economics questions
How much do Columbia University in the City of New York Economics graduates earn?
Economics graduates of Columbia University in the City of New York earn a median $137,710 four years after graduating and $83,135 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.
How much debt do Columbia University in the City of New York Economics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of Columbia University in the City of New York is $25,000, about 18% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.
Is Columbia University in the City of New York a good school for Economics in New York?
On pay, Economics graduates of Columbia University in the City of New York earn $137,710 four years out, $54,061 above the median for the same major across 35 New York colleges ($83,649) and $58,221 above the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Columbia University in the City of New York rank for Economics in New York?
Of 35 New York colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, Columbia University in the City of New York ranks 2nd. The highest is Cornell University at $137,935.
What jobs do Economics graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $100,800 in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 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: “Columbia University in the City of New York Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).