Ohio State University Economics: earnings, debt & careers

Economics graduates of Ohio State University earn a median $75,485 four years after graduating ($50,209 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,125. That is $4,004 below the U.S. median for Economics graduates ($79,489 across 368 colleges), and ranks 8th of 13 Ohio colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$75,485

U.S. median for this major: $79,489.

College Scorecard field of study; 230 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$50,209

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,125

About 31% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,907.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$17,339 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $30,305. College Scorecard.

Ohio State University Economics: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Ohio State University graduates$75,485
Ohio median (13 colleges)$79,310 (−$3,825)
U.S. median (368 colleges)$79,489 (−$4,004)

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 Ohio State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$4,885$20,566under 1 year
$30–48k$5,751$24,212under 1 year
$48–75k$9,807$41,2871.0 years
$75–110k$20,461$86,1412.2 years
$110k+$27,359$115,1812.9 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (71% 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 ($75,485) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $40,047 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 Ohio colleges

Every Ohio college we cover that reports Economics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Case Western Reserve University$114,601$25,949$41,19087%
2Kenyon College$103,791$18,718$38,51282%
3Denison University$97,394$24,102$40,00779%
4John Carroll University$91,386$27,000$28,74679%
5Miami University-Oxford$90,742$25,500$28,38480%
6Oberlin College$87,120$25,000$38,64581%
7The College of Wooster$79,310—$23,45874%
8Ohio State University$75,485$23,125$17,33988%
9University of Cincinnati$75,443$21,264$25,64875%
10Bowling Green State University$74,844$23,625$24,02264%
11Xavier University$63,252$27,000$32,99769%
12Cleveland State University$62,852$32,500$14,76451%
13University of Dayton$61,502$22,791$29,53380%

27 more Ohio colleges offer Economics but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Economics graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Columbus area$81,400
Ohio$78,800
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Columbus area$77,010
Ohio$72,790
U.S.$78,760

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Data Scientists

Columbus area$107,950
Ohio$102,630
U.S.$120,230

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 Ohio State University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Ohio State University

Related majors at Ohio State University

Ohio State University Economics questions

How much do Ohio State University Economics graduates earn?

Economics graduates of Ohio State University earn a median $75,485 four years after graduating and $50,209 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.

How much debt do Ohio State University Economics graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of Ohio State University is $23,125, about 31% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.

Is Ohio State University a good school for Economics in Ohio?

On pay, Economics graduates of Ohio State University earn $75,485 four years out, $3,825 below the median for the same major across 13 Ohio colleges ($79,310) and $4,004 below the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Ohio State University rank for Economics in Ohio?

Of 13 Ohio colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, Ohio State University ranks 8th. The highest is Case Western Reserve University at $114,601.

What jobs do Economics graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $81,400 in the Columbus, OH 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
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Cite this: “Ohio State University Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).