CollegeCostWise

Bachelor's · Sewanee, Tennessee

Is Economics at The University of the South worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 4.1 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating
$64,756
Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating
$94,267
Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation
$19,189
NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families
$135k (likely $135k – $135k)
AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4
$56k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in TN
2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback
4.1 years (likely 3.4–5.1)
Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return
$213k (likely $85k – $356k)
Today's dollars
20-year net return
$877k (likely $604k – $1.20M)
Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide)
79%
Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Change income, residency or loans Compare Economics at other schools

📈 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward business & money majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

  • AP Microeconomics
  • AP Macroeconomics
  • AP Statistics
  • AP Precalculus or AP Calculus AB

IB Higher Level

  • Business Management HL
  • Economics HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at The University of the South

Economics at other schools in Tennessee