Top Universities for Economics According to Employers

Seventh in the world for economics according to employers is Yale University, with an employer reputation indicator score of 87.8. Yale University places eighth in the world this year for economics.

Yale economics graduates work in a diverse range of careers, from working at government agencies or the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to working for non-profit organizations or think tanks. Yale’s Office of Career Strategy offers a range of opportunities for students to help boost their employability, including career advising and helping with internships (such as working in summer vacation or academic year research programs.)

Rising one place in the economics subject rankings this year to joint fifth place is the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). LSE places sixth in our list of the top economics schools according to employers, with an employer reputation score of 90.2. 

LSE’s central London location means that students can benefit from the employment opportunities offered by a large number of top businesses in the surrounding area. Additionally, LSE’s career center offers numerous career fairs, advice services, as well as help with internships and job applications. As a result of the course’s strong level of employability, LSE’s economics department counts ten Nobel Prize winners amongst its alumni.

With an impressive score of 92.8 is Stanford University, in fifth place in the list of the top economics schools according to employers this year. Stanford University ranks third overall for economics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020. 

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford University is surrounded by some of the world’s top employers; including Google, Hewlett-Packard, Yahoo and many more, who often hire Stanford University graduates. BEAM (Stanford University’s Career center) offers a wide range of resources to improve their students’ employability, including interview advice and preparation, career fairs, internship help, and Handshake – the university’s employment opportunity database. 

In fourth place we have Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with an employer reputation score of 95.4. MIT earns a perfect score in the research citations per paper indicator, due to their globally recognized research. Describing itself as a school which is “elite but not elitist”, MIT is the second-best school in the world for economics this year.

MIT say that their economics majors go on to graduate careers in academia, global business, government, finance, consulting, and law. To improve students’ employability, MIT’s Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) offer services such as career counselling, help with CV, cover letters or LinkedIn profiles, and mock interviews. CAPD also have a reciprocity arrangement with the Harvard Office of Career Services, whereby students participate in career fairs and events at Harvard University and use their careers job board.  

In third place we have the University of Oxford, with a score of 96.6 in the employer reputation indicator. The oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford University places ninth in the world for economics this year in the subject rankings. 

Oxford University’s Career Advice service helps students and graduates with summer internships, CVs and cover letters, career choices, psychometric tests and careers fairs. Oxford University has also recently given students access to employers’ green credentials in their CareerConnect system, which allows them to compare employers’ stances on environmental issues and learn more about the companies.

The University of Cambridge earns a high score of 97 in the employer reputation indicator and ranks 10^thoverall for economics in the subject rankings this year. Economics courses at the University of Cambridge encompass a wide range of disciplines, including history, sociology, mathematics, statistics and politics, qualifying graduates for a panoply of different career paths. 

Careers services at the University of Cambridge help students connect with employers, find opportunities and job vacancies and explore any career sectors students are considering, through careers events and one-on-one meetings.

Top of the list of the best universities to study economics according to employers is Harvard University, with a perfect score of 100 in the employer reputation indicator. Established in 1636, and the oldest higher education institution in the United States, Harvard is widely renowned for being a leading university in nearly all subject areas. Economics is no exception to this, and the university places first in the world for economics this year.

Aside from earning perfect scores in the academic and employer reputation indicators, so many factors make Harvard economics graduates employable. The Office of Career Services at Harvard University aims to educate, advise and connect students to opportunities for summer and post-graduation, by helping with CVs, internships and helping students find jobs.