<p>How are the programs in economics in Liberal Arts Colleges? I know that economics is a very popular major no matter where you look, but which colleges are stronger and weaker in the field? Here's what I know:</p>
<p>Williams: Very strong</p>
<p>That's all I know! </p>
<p>How are schools like Middlebury, Bowdoin, Colby, Bates, Colgate, Amherst?</p>
<p>And schools that are not as, but still quite competitive? (Lafayette, Gettysburg, Bucknell)</p>
<p>Almost everyone will have to take an econ course in college, and many of you will choose to major in it! Let's get some opinions here.</p>
<p>Also, can somebody explain how schools like Washington and Lee work their economics program when they have a business school? Is economics offered through the business school?</p>
<p>Amherst, Middlebury and Bowdoin are probably the best 3 out of that list.</p>
<p>and Washington and Lee has economics and then a business school. economics in the college is more theory while the economics in the business school is more pre-professional and such.</p>
<p>Actually, economics is in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics at Washington and Lee as well, though the theory vs pre-prof distinction is correct.</p>
<p>I copied this from a post by Alexandre who is a resident maven about many things, especially economics. He discusses LACs at the bottom. I hope this is useful. I am looking into several schools for my son (Colgate, Hamilton, Macalester, Colby, Oberlin and U of Rochester)</p>
<p>ECONOMICS:
Group I:
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton University
Stanford University
University of Chicago</p>
<p>Group II
Northwestern University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Pennsylvania
Yale University</p>
<p>Group III
Columbia University
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor</p>
<p>Group IV
Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Duke University
New York University
University of California-San Diego
University of Rochester
University of Wisconsin-Madison</p>
<p>Group V
Boston University
Johns Hopkins University
University of Maryland-College Park
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Texas-Austin
University of Virginia</p>
<p>Top LACs for Economics:
Amherst College
Carleton College
Claremont McKenna College
Colby College
Colgate University
College of William & Mary
Dartmouth College (not really a LAC)
Denison University
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Macalester College
Middlebury College
Oberlin College
Pomona College
Reed College
Swarthmore College
Vassar College
Wesleyan University
Williams College</p>
<p>it's interesting that both bryn mawr and wellesley are not on your list. my impression is that they are both big girls with a lot of weight in the field of economics to throw around and would be able to beat up half of those coed lacs like boys in the 4th grade.</p>
<p>Economics is not a field where a high percentage of majors go on to get advanced academic or research PhDs. so don't read any more into the following than a data point that supplies one piece of the puzzle:</p>
<p>Here are the top 30 or so colleges and universities who have sent the highest percentage of their total graduates on to a PhD in Economics over the most recent 10-year period. There are certainly many other excellent Econ departments, including some at large state universities that don't fare well in per capita statistics such as these. Doing well requires a high percentage of overall students oriented towards PhDs, a high percentage of econ majors, and/or very strong undergrad teaching/mentoring. The number following each school is how many grads have gotten an Econ PhD per 1000 total graduates from the school. I think this list has a lot of overlap with Alexandre's list (he usually knows his stuff). There are some interesting schools on this list that maybe don't get kicked around in these parts as much as they should (Berea, Earlham, Agnes Scott, etc.)</p>
<p>1 Swarthmore College 16
2 Grinnell College 7
3 Williams College 7
4 Carleton College 7
5 Harvard University 6
6 Agnes Scott College 6
7 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5
8 University of Chicago 5
9 Yale University 5
10 California Institute of Technology 5
11 Princeton University 5
12 Macalester College 5
13 Stanford University 4
14 Pomona College 4
15 Oberlin College 4
16 Wellesley College 4
17 Trinity University 4
18 Bowdoin College 3
19 Earlham College 3
20 Berea College 3
21 Amherst College 3
22 Wabash College 3
23 Bard College 3
24 Rocky Mountain College 3
25 Coe College 3
26 Wesleyan University 3
27 College of William and Mary 3
28 Colby College 3
29 Columbia University in the City of New York 3
30 Hillsdale College 3
31 Franklin and Marshall College 3</p>
<p>Fur uncle, BMC and Wellesey have excellent Econ departments (definitely as good as most LACs listed in my list above), but since they only apply to 50% of the population, I usually do not recommend them, unless a student or parent explicitly requests for a women's college.</p>