Economics at Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo College's economics program sits in an uncomfortable middle ground: graduates carry debt loads well below the national average ($27,000 versus $22,816 nationally), but their first-year earnings of $42,508 trail both the Michigan median ($49,210) and the national benchmark ($51,722) by significant margins. That's roughly $7,000 less than what a typical Michigan economics graduate earns. Among Michigan's 22 programs, this ranks at the 40th percentile—meaning most in-state alternatives deliver stronger immediate returns.

The comparison to Michigan's top programs is stark. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor graduates earn $68,416, while even mid-tier state options like Grand Valley State ($53,985) outpace Kalamazoo by more than $11,000. The 0.64 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming on its face, but it reflects earnings that simply aren't keeping pace with peer institutions rather than exceptionally low debt.

The critical caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could swing these numbers considerably. If your student is drawn to Kalamazoo's liberal arts environment, understand they'll likely be trading some earning power for that experience. For families focused on maximizing return on their economics degree investment, the state's larger public universities offer substantially better financial outcomes at the one-year mark.