# Michigan State University: Economics (bachelor's)

East Lansing, MI. IPEDS 171100, CIP 45.06. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/michigan-state-university/majors/economics

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $54,013
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $79,428 (U.S. median for this major: $79,489 across 368 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $24,250 (U.S. median $22,907)
- Rank in MI: 3 of 11 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MI median for this major (11 colleges, $69,884): +$9,544
- Versus the U.S. median: -$61

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.24 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $79,428 minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,068 | $29,968 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $10,830 | $45,919 | 1.0 years |
| 48-75k | $16,521 | $70,049 | 1.5 years |
| 75-110k | $22,703 | $96,261 | 2.1 years |
| 110k+ | $28,546 | $121,035 | 2.6 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Economics at MI colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $110,552 | $19,690 | $13,138 | 93% |
| Eastern Michigan University | $86,909 | $26,536 | $15,407 | 46% |
| Michigan State University | $79,428 | $24,250 | $19,680 | 81% |
| Kalamazoo College | $72,170 | $27,000 | $19,072 | 76% |
| Oakland University | $71,874 | not reported | $9,120 | 58% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | $69,884 | $28,381 | $9,492 | 58% |
| Albion College | $66,048 | $27,000 | $14,301 | 62% |
| Central Michigan University | $65,174 | $27,000 | $17,597 | 59% |
| Wayne State University | $63,972 | $24,681 | $12,766 | 58% |
| Northern Michigan University | $52,179 | not reported | $14,085 | 52% |
| Calvin University | $48,169 | $20,000 | $22,992 | 74% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $63,900 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $66,030 MI, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (SOC 13-1161): median wage $64,690 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $66,780 MI, $78,760 U.S.; U.S. jobs 7% by 2035
- Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051): median wage $87,160 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $100,590 MI, $120,230 U.S.; U.S. jobs 34.6% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).