<p>In a field like Economics, no one really cares how top ranked the program itself is. Most of the top school have awesome economics programs and unless you want to get a PhD in the field, the difference between Duke Econ and Yale Econ will be irrelevant to you.</p>
<p>It sounds like you want a more laid-back college experience with still good job opportunities available. Duke and USC are awesome in this regard. They both have INCREDIBLE alumni networks.</p>