Location: River Falls, WI•In-State Tuition: $8,606•Out-of-State Tuition: $16,887•Admission Rate: 82%•Avg SAT: 1120
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$51,344
Est. from WI median (9 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$23,349
Est. from WI median (6 programs)

Analysis

Wisconsin's economics programs cluster tightly around $51,000-54,000 in first-year earnings, with UW-River Falls landing near that state median based on peer program outcomes. The estimated $23,349 in debt is manageable relative to those earnings—a 0.45 ratio means graduates would need less than half their first-year salary to cover what they borrowed, which sits comfortably in sustainable territory.

What's harder to gauge is how UW-River Falls specifically stacks up within this range. The state's top economics programs—including UW-Madison and UW-Oshkosh—show reported outcomes up to $6,300 higher than the state median this program reflects. That spread matters: an extra $6,000 annually adds up over a career, and with similar debt levels across Wisconsin's public universities, the return on investment could vary significantly depending on which campus a student chooses.

The practical question is whether UW-River Falls delivers closer to the state median or punches above it. Without actual graduate data for this specific program, families are betting on similarity to peer institutions. Given the school's 82% admission rate and middle-tier SAT scores, assuming outcomes match rather than exceed the state average seems prudent. If cost of attendance is comparable to other UW system schools, this becomes a question of whether geographic preference or campus fit justifies potentially forgoing the documented higher earnings at UW-Madison or UW-Oshkosh.

Where University of Wisconsin-River Falls Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all economics bachelors's programs nationally

University of Wisconsin-River Falls (estimated ±10%)Other economics programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in Wisconsin

Economics bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Wisconsin (21 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls$8,606$51,344*—$23,349*—
University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh$8,212$57,663*—$25,000*0.43
University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison$11,205$54,495*$69,594$20,750*0.38
University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse$9,651$53,595*$57,423$25,000*0.47
Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere$44,432$53,350*$66,245$27,000*0.51
University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire$9,277$51,344*$58,841$21,500*0.42
National Median—$51,722*—$22,816*0.44
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with economics graduates

Economists

Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods.

$115,440/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Environmental Economists

Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.

$115,440/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Data Scientists

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Intelligence Analysts

Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports. Devise methods for identifying data patterns and trends in available information sources.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Statisticians

Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.

$104,350/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Biostatisticians

Develop and apply biostatistical theory and methods to the study of life sciences.

$104,350/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. May employ search marketing tactics, analyze web metrics, and develop recommendations to increase search engine ranking and visibility to target markets.

$76,950/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Search Marketing Strategists

Employ search marketing tactics to increase visibility and engagement with content, products, or services in Internet-enabled devices or interfaces. Examine search query behaviors on general or specialty search engines or other Internet-based content. Analyze research, data, or technology to understand user intent and measure outcomes for ongoing optimization.

$76,950/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.

$64,580/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Survey Researchers

Plan, develop, or conduct surveys. May analyze and interpret the meaning of survey data, determine survey objectives, or suggest or test question wording. Includes social scientists who primarily design questionnaires or supervise survey teams.

$63,380/yrJobs growth:Master's degree
About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At University of Wisconsin-River Falls, approximately 20% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 9 similar programs in WI. Actual outcomes may vary.