U.S. median for this major: $79,489.
College Scorecard field of study; 342 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 24% 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 $28,679. College Scorecard.
University of Wisconsin-Madison 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 University of Wisconsin-Madison'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 | $4,200 | $17,640 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $4,101 | $17,224 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $8,134 | $34,163 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $17,763 | $74,605 | 1.6 years |
| $110k+ | $27,292 | $114,626 | 2.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($85,366) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $47,802 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 Wisconsin colleges
Every Wisconsin 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 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $85,366 | $20,750 | $17,354 | 90% |
| 2 | Marquette University | $82,722 | $23,718 | $31,487 | 83% |
| 3 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | $79,267 | $25,000 | $14,305 | 46% |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | $77,395 | $21,698 | $14,158 | 59% |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | $71,768 | $25,000 | $16,210 | 71% |
| 6 | Lawrence University | $71,338 | — | $23,401 | 77% |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $69,435 | $21,500 | $16,550 | 64% |
| 8 | Carthage College | $67,703 | $19,500 | $26,565 | 64% |
| 9 | Ripon College | $67,395 | — | $20,216 | 63% |
| 10 | Saint Norbert College | $66,621 | $27,000 | $26,172 | 71% |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | $66,453 | — | $14,559 | 51% |
| 12 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | $64,454 | $27,000 | $15,014 | 49% |
7 more Wisconsin 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 University of Wisconsin-Madison, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Acceptance rate: 45% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 90% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $73,792
- Full cost breakdown · all 99 majors · overview
Related majors at University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Management Science / Analytics$106,521
- Marketing$96,148
- Business Administration$100,005
- Accounting$101,390
- Finance$107,207
University of Wisconsin-Madison Economics questions
How much do University of Wisconsin-Madison Economics graduates earn?
Economics graduates of University of Wisconsin-Madison earn a median $85,366 four years after graduating and $54,495 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.
How much debt do University of Wisconsin-Madison Economics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of University of Wisconsin-Madison is $20,750, about 24% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.
Is University of Wisconsin-Madison a good school for Economics in Wisconsin?
On pay, Economics graduates of University of Wisconsin-Madison earn $85,366 four years out, $14,980 above the median for the same major across 12 Wisconsin colleges ($70,386) and $5,877 above the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Wisconsin-Madison rank for Economics in Wisconsin?
Of 12 Wisconsin colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, University of Wisconsin-Madison 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 $64,080 in the Madison, WI 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: “University of Wisconsin-Madison Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).