Best colleges for Economics in New York
Program-level earnings — not school prestige — rank these. Among the New York programs in the federal field-of-study file, Cornell University leads: its Economics graduates earn a median $137,935 four years after finishing, against the field's $82,686 national median. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026.)
| # | College | Grad earnings, 4 yrs | Vs field median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | $137,935 | +$55,249 |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $137,710 | +$55,024 |
| 3 | Hamilton College | $130,633 | +$47,947 |
How big is the earnings gap between New York Economics programs?
$7,302 separates the top and bottom of this list — $137,935 at Cornell University against $130,633 at Hamilton College, four years after finishing. Same field, same state, same federal measure: where you study moves pay by that much.
Do New York Economics graduates earn more than the national median?
The state's strongest program pays $55,249 above the $82,686 national median for the field. Program-level medians come from federal tax records of graduates who received aid, so they track actual pay rather than advertised salaries.