Our economics faculty are internationally recognized for their research consistently ranking among the top 75 economics departments in the world and top 50 departments in the United States.

Enrollments in economics are high nationwide, and our campus is no exception. Economics is one of the largest majors at Rice, in part because our graduates have had excellent employment opportunities. According to a recent Career Services survey, the average starting salaries for our economics graduates have been among the highest of all Rice University graduates.

We are particularly proud of our mathematical economics analysis major, one of the very few in the nation, focusing on providing students with a strong foundation in quantitative and analytical skills. The mathematical economics analysis major is one of the favorite second majors for our outstanding engineering and science students, and it also provides an excellent preparation for those who pursue graduate degrees in business, law and economics.

Although the undergraduate economics major is one of the largest at Rice, the classes are typically small and vibrant. Due to the high quality of our students, undergraduate economics courses at Rice are both challenging and rewarding for students and professors.

The economics department is the largest contributor to the interdisciplinary Managerial Studies program, which also involves the departments of Political Sciences, Psychology, Statistics and Sociology. The program graduates approximately 50 students (all double majors) per year, 60% of whom are economics majors.

The doctoral program in economics at Rice University equips students with the theoretical and empirical skills essential to entering research careers in academia, business and government. The small size of the program, approximately 40 graduate students working with 20 full-time faculty, promotes close faculty student interactions and collaboration, as well as close working relationships among the students.