Bachelor's+29% vs national median351 grads tracked
Economics at Carleton College
Ranked 7th of 225 bachelor's programs in Economics by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$73,086
middle 50%: $57,703 – $94,164
Median · 5 years out
$102,242
middle 50%: $73,979 – $147,904
Median · 10 years out
$152,658
middle 50%: $103,243 – $223,969
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Economics (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Carleton College Economics majors earn a high median starting salary of $73k. This increases to $102k by year five and $153k by year ten.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
4.1 yrs
≈ $4,477 total interest
Same major at other universities
Connecticut College
$109,357 · 5 yrs out
Washington and Lee University
$108,900 · 5 yrs out
University of Virginia
$108,346 · 5 yrs out
Quinnipiac University
$105,881 · 5 yrs out
University of Richmond
$105,837 · 5 yrs out
Providence College
$104,709 · 5 yrs out
Wheaton College
$100,721 · 5 yrs out
Bryant University
$99,994 · 5 yrs out
University of Michigan
$99,000 · 5 yrs out
Colorado School of Mines
$97,392 · 5 yrs out
Bethel University
$95,481 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Austin
$95,130 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Carleton College
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$136,177 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$136,177 · 5 yrs out
Statistics (Bachelor's)
$111,686 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Bachelor's)
$97,751 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$93,589 · 5 yrs out
Social Sciences (Bachelor's)
$79,570 · 5 yrs out
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)
$76,770 · 5 yrs out
Philosophy (Bachelor's)
$74,301 · 5 yrs out
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's)
$71,298 · 5 yrs out
Philosophy and Religious Studies (Bachelor's)
$70,298 · 5 yrs out
Physics (Bachelor's)
$68,521 · 5 yrs out
Chemistry (Bachelor's)
$64,523 · 5 yrs out