<p>If you want to go to graduate school in economics, the top priority is a good math curriculum. Econ graduate schools often prefer math majors/econ minor (or something like that) over just econ majors.</p>
<p>What you can do to see if the courses are good is look at the prerequisites for the Intermediate and advanced micro and macro economic analysis. If they don't require Calculus, it's probably not as rigorous. If they require Multivariable Calculus and/or Linear Algebra, it's the most rigorous out there.</p>
<p>I found two sources for top programs for PhD producers
<a href="http://www.econ.duke.edu/aeasp/seminar_files/seminar2006_files/Undergraduate_Origins_May_2006.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.econ.duke.edu/aeasp/seminar_files/seminar2006_files/Undergraduate_Origins_May_2006.pdf</a>
Page 27 and Page 28</p>
<p>This site samples graduate programs in economics, with the top programs more likely to be chosen than the lower-level programs.</p>
<ol>
<li>Swarthmore</li>
<li>Agnes Scott</li>
<li>Grinnell</li>
<li>Carleton</li>
<li>Williams</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>MaCalaster</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Trinity</li>
<li>MIT</li>
</ol>
<p>The Second source is from the NSF report about the top Baccalaureate origins of PhD. I can't link the original site because it costs money to buy it. However, Grinnell has been kind enough to display the top 10 on their website.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/institutionalresearch/reports/PhDProd_F06.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/institutionalresearch/reports/PhDProd_F06.pdf</a></p>
<ol>
<li>Swarthmore</li>
<li>Grinnell</li>
<li>Carleton</li>
<li>Agnes Scott</li>
<li>Williams</li>
<li>MIT</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Chicago</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Macalaster</li>
</ol>
<p>The two indepedent studies give the same results for the top 4 (except Agnes Scott, which is too small as it only gave about 1/3 as many undergraduate degrees as even Grinnell and Swarthmore). 9 of the top 10 in one study is in the top 11 of the other.</p>
<p>I'm not saying that graduate schools are more likely to prefer students from these schools. You're probably going to find a school culture more suited towards graduate school and PhD at these schools since more of them pursue it. There will probably be more faculty and student support for such goals, which, IMO, is as important as any other factor in choosing the best undergraduate economics programs.</p>
<p>Also remember that this is for graduate school. These economics graduates probably want to pursue an academic career, not to make a lot of money. Chances are, econ graduates at the top LAC aren't trying to use their degrees to be IBankers.</p>