# Purdue University: Economics (bachelor's)

West Lafayette, IN. IPEDS 243780, CIP 45.06. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/economics

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $59,187
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $83,195 (U.S. median for this major: $79,489 across 368 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $24,700 (U.S. median $22,907)
- Rank in IN: 5 of 8 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IN median for this major (8 colleges, $85,284): -$2,089
- Versus the U.S. median: +$3,706

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.26 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $83,195 minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

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

## Economics at IN colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame | $122,637 | $19,965 | $26,780 | 95% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | $99,653 | $20,500 | $16,264 | 80% |
| DePauw University | $94,761 | $26,978 | $22,264 | 75% |
| Wabash College | $87,372 | $27,000 | $24,336 | 77% |
| Purdue University | $83,195 | $24,700 | $14,600 | 83% |
| Hanover College | $73,827 | $26,898 | $21,829 | 67% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | $68,036 | $18,711 | $11,668 | 55% |
| University of Southern Indiana | $55,605 | not reported | $12,923 | 48% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $62,590 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $61,880 IN, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (SOC 13-1161): median wage $64,120 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $63,700 IN, $78,760 U.S.; U.S. jobs 7% by 2035
- Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051): median wage $79,280 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $91,470 IN, $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).