Economics at University of North Texas

UNT Economics graduates earn slightly above the state median despite the program ranking near the national middle—60th percentile in Texas versus 48th nationally. That gap tells an important story: while UNT can't match the elite private schools (Rice and SMU graduates earn $70,000+), it outperforms half the economics programs in Texas at a fraction of the cost. First-year earnings of $51,316 climb to $61,279 by year four, solid 19% growth that suggests the degree has staying power in the job market.

The debt picture reinforces the value case. At $23,619, graduates carry manageable debt that equals less than half their first-year salary. This is roughly in line with national norms but slightly above the Texas median, likely reflecting UNT's position as an accessible state school (72% admission rate, 36% Pell recipients) rather than a flagship institution. The difference matters less when you consider that UNT graduates start earning almost immediately—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 means most borrowers should be able to manage payments comfortably.

For families choosing between UT Austin's prestige and UNT's affordability, the numbers are instructive: UT Austin graduates earn $7,400 more initially, but if that comes with significantly higher costs or competitive admission barriers, UNT's economics program delivers reasonable returns with far less risk.