U.S. median for this major: $79,489.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 21% 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 $31,735. College Scorecard.
Economics at Virginia colleges
Every Virginia 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 | Washington and Lee University | $115,837 | $23,399 | $23,781 | 94% |
| 2 | University of Virginia | $110,773 | $19,000 | $21,565 | 96% |
| 3 | William & Mary | $105,467 | $19,678 | $19,096 | 89% |
| 4 | University of Richmond | $100,608 | $23,000 | $31,309 | 85% |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $92,653 | $22,500 | $24,953 | 86% |
| 6 | George Mason University | $87,548 | $21,500 | $17,915 | 68% |
| 7 | James Madison University | $86,681 | $18,575 | $23,322 | 80% |
| 8 | Virginia Military Institute | $76,296 | $23,250 | $17,113 | 76% |
| 9 | University of Lynchburg | $75,903 | — | $22,235 | 57% |
| 10 | Christopher Newport University | $75,365 | $23,125 | $23,015 | 72% |
| 11 | Radford University | $69,943 | $26,000 | $14,578 | 49% |
| 12 | Hampden-Sydney College | $68,795 | $27,000 | $22,400 | 62% |
| 13 | University of Mary Washington | $67,903 | — | $20,667 | 66% |
13 more Virginia 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 JMU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About JMU
- Acceptance rate: 72% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 80% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $69,954
- Full cost breakdown · all 49 majors · overview
Related majors at JMU
- Marketing$89,944
- Business Economics—
- Business Administration$85,137
- Accounting$98,767
- Finance$104,926
JMU Economics questions
How much do JMU Economics graduates earn?
Economics graduates of James Madison University earn a median $86,681 four years after graduating and $62,286 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.
How much debt do JMU Economics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of James Madison University is $18,575, about 21% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.
Where does JMU rank for Economics in Virginia?
Of 13 Virginia colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, James Madison University ranks 7th. The highest is Washington and Lee University at $115,837.
What jobs do Economics graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $78,300 in the Harrisonburg, VA 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: “James Madison University Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/james-madison-university/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).