Economics at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

UW-La Crosse economics graduates start at $53,595—comfortably above both the Wisconsin median ($51,344) and the national median ($51,722) for this major. More importantly, the program places in the 60th percentile among Wisconsin's 21 economics programs, outperforming schools like UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater while trailing only UW-Oshkosh and UW-Madison by meaningful margins. The debt picture is equally solid: at $25,000, graduates carry slightly more than typical for economics majors, but with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.47, they can reasonably expect to manage payments without financial strain.

The 7% earnings bump from year one to year four ($57,423) isn't spectacular growth, but it moves graduates closer to the national 75th percentile and suggests stable career progression. Given the 73% admission rate, this program offers accessible entry to above-average outcomes in a field where many graduates struggle to differentiate themselves early in their careers.

For Wisconsin families, this represents solid value: your child gets better-than-average economics earnings without the debt burden or competitive admissions pressure of Madison. The $25,000 debt load is manageable against first-year earnings, and graduates enter the workforce with enough earning power to build financial stability quickly.