U.S. median for this major: $79,489.
College Scorecard field of study; 44 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 30% 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 $24,591. College Scorecard.
PU 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 PU'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 | $5,098 | $21,717 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $6,241 | $26,587 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $9,438 | $40,206 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $18,177 | $77,434 | 1.6 years |
| $110k+ | $22,742 | $96,881 | 2.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (64% 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 ($83,195) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $47,661 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 Indiana colleges
Every Indiana college we cover that reports Economics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame | $122,637 | $19,965 | $26,780 | 95% |
| 2 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $99,653 | $20,500 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 3 | DePauw University | $94,761 | $26,978 | $22,264 | 75% |
| 4 | Wabash College | $87,372 | $27,000 | $24,336 | 77% |
| 5 | Purdue University | $83,195 | $24,700 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 6 | Hanover College | $73,827 | $26,898 | $21,829 | 67% |
| 7 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $68,036 | $18,711 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 8 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $55,605 | — | $12,923 | 48% |
17 more Indiana 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 PU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About PU
- Acceptance rate: 50% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 83% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $72,424
- Full cost breakdown · all 112 majors · overview
Related majors at PU
- Management Science / Analytics$93,976
- Marketing$84,725
- Business Administration$81,040
- Accounting$90,119
- Finance$85,924
PU Economics questions
How much do PU Economics graduates earn?
Economics graduates of Purdue University earn a median $83,195 four years after graduating and $59,187 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.
How much debt do PU Economics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of Purdue University is $24,700, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.
Is PU a good school for Economics in Indiana?
On pay, Economics graduates of Purdue University earn $83,195 four years out, $2,089 below the median for the same major across 8 Indiana colleges ($85,284) and $3,706 above the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does PU rank for Economics in Indiana?
Of 8 Indiana colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, Purdue University ranks 5th. The highest is University of Notre Dame at $122,637.
What jobs do Economics graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $62,590 in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 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: “Purdue University Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).