University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Economics: earnings, debt & careers

Economics graduates of University of Michigan-Ann Arbor earn a median $110,552 four years after graduating ($68,416 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $19,690. That is $31,063 above the U.S. median for Economics graduates ($79,489 across 368 colleges), and ranks 1st of 11 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$110,552

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

College Scorecard field of study; 391 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$68,416

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$19,690

About 18% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,907.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$13,138 /yr

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

Sticker price $34,654. College Scorecard.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Economics: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor graduates$110,552
Michigan median (11 colleges)$69,884 (+$40,668)
U.S. median (368 colleges)$79,489 (+$31,063)

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 Michigan-Ann Arbor'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$1,043$4,308under 1 year
$30–48k$1,878$7,756under 1 year
$48–75k$4,895$20,216under 1 year
$75–110k$10,869$44,889under 1 year
$110k+$26,517$109,5151.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (82% 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 ($110,552) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $77,141 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 Michigan colleges

Every Michigan 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
1University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$110,552$19,690$13,13893%
2Eastern Michigan University$86,909$26,536$15,40746%
3Michigan State University$79,428$24,250$19,68081%
4Kalamazoo College$72,170$27,000$19,07276%
5Oakland University$71,874—$9,12058%
6University of Michigan-Dearborn$69,884$28,381$9,49258%
7Albion College$66,048$27,000$14,30162%
8Central Michigan University$65,174$27,000$17,59759%
9Wayne State University$63,972$24,681$12,76658%
10Northern Michigan University$52,179—$14,08552%
11Calvin University$48,169$20,000$22,99274%

13 more Michigan colleges offer Economics but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Economics graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Ann Arbor area$63,780
Michigan$66,030
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

Ann Arbor area$66,210
Michigan$66,780
U.S.$78,760

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

Data Scientists

Ann Arbor area$112,680
Michigan$100,590
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 Michigan-Ann Arbor, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Related majors at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Economics questions

How much do University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Economics graduates earn?

Economics graduates of University of Michigan-Ann Arbor earn a median $110,552 four years after graduating and $68,416 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.

How much debt do University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Economics graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is $19,690, about 18% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.

Is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor a good school for Economics in Michigan?

On pay, Economics graduates of University of Michigan-Ann Arbor earn $110,552 four years out, $40,668 above the median for the same major across 11 Michigan colleges ($69,884) and $31,063 above the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Michigan-Ann Arbor rank for Economics in Michigan?

Of 11 Michigan colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Economics graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $63,780 in the Ann Arbor, MI 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 Michigan-Ann Arbor Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).