Economics at University of North Dakota

In North Dakota's tight market for economics degrees—just three programs statewide—comparable programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $52,000 against estimated debt of $21,650. That 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio falls comfortably within manageable territory, meaning graduates would owe roughly five months of their first year's salary. For context, economics bachelor's programs across the country cluster around these same figures, with $51,700 as the national median and debt hovering near $23,000.

The challenge here isn't the financial math—it's the lack of program-specific data. When the Department of Education suppresses figures due to small graduate samples, we're left comparing UND to the broader national landscape rather than seeing how this particular program's graduates actually fare. Similar programs suggest the degree should pay for itself reasonably quickly, but without knowing whether UND's economics graduates land the finance jobs in Fargo or struggle to compete with students from larger regional universities, you're making decisions in the dark.

For families comfortable with uncertainty, the estimated numbers point to a sound investment. But if your student is choosing between this and programs with actual reported outcomes, those schools are showing you real evidence of graduate success rather than asking you to trust peer-program projections.