Economics at Saint Anselm College

Based on peer institutions in New Hampshire, economics graduates from this program appear positioned to earn around $70,000 in their first year—substantially above the national median of $52,000 for bachelor's-level economists. That estimated salary would make the projected $24,000 in debt quite manageable, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 suggesting graduates could reasonably pay off loans within a year or two of focused repayment. The earnings estimate comes from just three NH programs, but it aligns with what similar private colleges typically produce in the region.

The caveat here is significant uncertainty. With only seven economics programs statewide and suppressed data for this specific school, we're working with limited visibility. The range among NH's top programs is dramatic—Dartmouth economics grads start at $95,000 while UNH grads begin closer to $54,000. Saint Anselm's profile (78% admission rate, 1183 average SAT, few Pell recipients) suggests it draws a more advantaged student body than UNH but lacks Dartmouth's elite network and recruiting pipeline.

If the $70,000 estimate holds true, this represents solid value for a liberal arts economics degree. But parents should recognize they're betting on peer-program patterns rather than verified outcomes. Request actual placement data from the college—where recent graduates landed jobs, typical starting salaries, and which employers recruit on campus. That ground-level intelligence matters more than statistical estimates when the sample size is this small.