Economics at Drew University

Drew's economics program shows a puzzling pattern: graduates earn just $33,639 in their first year—well below both the national and New Jersey medians around $51,700—but then see earnings jump 124% to over $75,000 by year four. This places the program in the bottom 10th percentile among New Jersey economics programs initially, trailing every Rutgers campus and The College of New Jersey by a significant margin. While the eventual earnings recovery is impressive, that first-year figure matters tremendously for new graduates managing loan payments and living expenses.

The $26,914 debt load sits slightly above typical levels but isn't excessive given the eventual earnings. The real question is what explains that dramatic four-year trajectory. It could reflect graduates taking unpaid internships or pursuing graduate degrees before entering higher-paying roles, or it might indicate that Drew economics majors need time to find their footing in competitive job markets. With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, these numbers could also reflect a few outliers rather than a reliable pattern.

For families considering this program, understand that you're likely facing a difficult first year financially—that debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.8 means initial loan payments will consume a substantial portion of take-home pay. If your student can weather that period with family support or has graduate school plans that explain the delayed earnings, the eventual outcome looks reasonable. But if immediate financial independence matters, stronger-performing state options exist at similar or lower costs.