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Economics Professor Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an economics professor. Economics professors usually study economics, business, or finance. 49% of economics professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 199 real economics professor resumes to see exactly what economics professor education sections show.
The most common colleges for economics professors are the Florida International University and the Florida International University.
There are also many online economics professor courses to help get the education required to be an economics professor.
What education do you need to become an economics professor?
What degree do you need to be an economics professor?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Master's, 36%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an economics professor?
Most common colleges for economics professors
Economics Professor Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida International University | 10.00% |
| Teachers College of Columbia University | 10.00% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.50% |
| University of Akron | 5.00% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.00% |
Best majors for economics professors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economics | 43.4% |
| 2 | Business | 15.7% |
| 3 | Finance | 9.4% |
| 4 | Political Science | 5.0% |
| 5 | Accounting | 3.1% |
Best colleges for economics professors
The best colleges for economics professors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
An economics professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for economics professors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become economics professors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
4. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-State Tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for economics professors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for economics professors
The most affordable schools for economics professors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for economics professors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for economics professors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for economics professors
The hardest universities for economics professors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for economics professors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for economics professors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions Rate
15%
SAT Average
1,506
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for economics professors
The easiest schools for economics professors to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of baltimore.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an economics professor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for economics professors.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,044
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
3. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,020
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,046
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
Average economics professor salary by education level
| Economics Professor education level | Economics Professor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,556 |
| Doctorate Degree | $125,293 |
Economics Professor Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025