University of Massachusetts-Amherst Economics: earnings, debt & careers

Economics graduates of University of Massachusetts-Amherst earn a median $80,434 four years after graduating ($52,309 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,000. That is $945 above the U.S. median for Economics graduates ($79,489 across 368 colleges), and ranks 16th of 24 Massachusetts colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$80,434

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

College Scorecard field of study; 255 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$52,309

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,000

About 32% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,907.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$22,383 /yr

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

Sticker price $34,549. College Scorecard.

University of Massachusetts-Amherst Economics: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Massachusetts-Amherst graduates$80,434
Massachusetts median (24 colleges)$90,878 (−$10,444)
U.S. median (368 colleges)$79,489 (+$945)

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 University of Massachusetts-Amherst'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$10,164$41,6721.0 years
$30–48k$10,456$42,8701.1 years
$48–75k$12,932$53,0211.3 years
$75–110k$18,964$77,7521.9 years
$110k+$30,793$126,2513.1 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (76% 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 ($80,434) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $40,554 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 Massachusetts colleges

Every Massachusetts 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
1Williams College$166,678$12,925$17,71694%
2Harvard University$155,592$6,617$19,06698%
3Amherst College$141,730$16,662$23,36794%
4Tufts University$123,809$17,850$39,99894%
5Wellesley College$121,787$11,190$25,49692%
6Boston College$121,337$18,000$41,70491%
7College of the Holy Cross$118,131$27,000$38,78287%
8Northeastern University$101,423$24,500$30,91591%
9Northeastern University Professional Programs$101,423$24,500——
10Boston University$96,723$24,500$24,40289%
11Brandeis University$95,872$25,295$35,73686%
12Clark University$91,094$27,000$28,71477%
13Assumption University$90,662$27,000$29,49875%
14Stonehill College$88,479$25,000$33,01676%
15Smith College$88,067$19,000$27,57989%
16University of Massachusetts-Amherst$80,434$26,000$22,38383%
17University of Massachusetts-Lowell$76,822$26,500$17,16365%
18Westfield State University$72,539$25,000$16,72154%
19Suffolk University$70,886—$29,61861%
20University of Massachusetts-Boston$70,552$26,994$17,70749%
21Bridgewater State University$70,473$27,000$16,38353%
22Emmanuel College$68,905$27,000$26,70668%
23University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth$62,981—$20,92752%
24Worcester State University$62,138—$13,38161%

16 more Massachusetts colleges offer Economics but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Economics graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Amherst Town area$81,660
Massachusetts$95,260
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

Amherst Town area$72,550
Massachusetts$101,810
U.S.$78,760

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

Data Scientists

Amherst Town area$94,640
Massachusetts$131,750
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 University of Massachusetts-Amherst, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Related majors at University of Massachusetts-Amherst

University of Massachusetts-Amherst Economics questions

How much do University of Massachusetts-Amherst Economics graduates earn?

Economics graduates of University of Massachusetts-Amherst earn a median $80,434 four years after graduating and $52,309 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.

How much debt do University of Massachusetts-Amherst Economics graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of University of Massachusetts-Amherst is $26,000, about 32% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.

Is University of Massachusetts-Amherst a good school for Economics in Massachusetts?

On pay, Economics graduates of University of Massachusetts-Amherst earn $80,434 four years out, $10,444 below the median for the same major across 24 Massachusetts colleges ($90,878) and $945 above the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Massachusetts-Amherst rank for Economics in Massachusetts?

Of 24 Massachusetts colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, University of Massachusetts-Amherst ranks 16th. The highest is Williams College at $166,678.

What jobs do Economics graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $81,660 in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 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: “University of Massachusetts-Amherst Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).