U.S. median for this major: $79,489.
College Scorecard field of study; 392 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 31% 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 $34,081. College Scorecard.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College'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 | $16,092 | $70,161 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $17,884 | $77,974 | 1.7 years |
| $48–75k | $20,539 | $89,550 | 2.0 years |
| $75–110k | $26,914 | $117,345 | 2.6 years |
| $110k+ | $29,692 | $129,457 | 2.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (32% 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 ($81,228) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $45,431 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 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
- Acceptance rate: 97% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 44% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $63,435
- Full cost breakdown · all 35 majors · overview
Related majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
- Management Science / Analytics$73,308
- Marketing$79,343
- Business Economics—
- Business Administration$72,218
- Accounting$88,192
- Finance$96,714
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Economics questions
How much do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Economics graduates earn?
Economics graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College earn a median $81,228 four years after graduating and $55,418 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.
How much debt do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Economics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College is $25,000, about 31% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.
Is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College a good school for Economics in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Economics graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College earn $81,228 four years out, $0 above the median for the same major across 31 Pennsylvania colleges ($81,228) and $1,739 above the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College rank for Economics in Pennsylvania?
Of 30 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College ranks 15th. The highest is Carnegie Mellon University at $144,886.
What jobs do Economics graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $65,870 in the Erie, 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: “Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-erie-behrend-college/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).