Post job

Regional economist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a regional economist. Regional economists usually study economics, political science, or business. 62% of regional economists hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 33 real regional economist resumes to see exactly what regional economist education sections show.

The most common colleges for regional economists are the Rhode Island College and the Rhode Island College.

There are also many online regional economist courses to help get the education required to be a regional economist.

What education do you need to become a regional economist?

What degree do you need to be a regional economist?

The most common degree for regional economists is bachelor's degree, with 62% of regional economists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 28% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 28%
  • Doctorate, 7%
  • Associate, 3%

What should I major in to become a regional economist?

You should major in economics to become a regional economist. 31% of regional economists major in economics. Other common majors for a regional economist include political science and business.

Most common colleges for regional economists

Regional economists often get their degrees at Rhode Island College, University of North Dakota, and University of Oklahoma. Here are the most common colleges for regional economists in the US based on their resumes.
Regional economist common collegePercentages
Rhode Island College9.09%
University of North Dakota9.09%
University of Oklahoma4.55%
University of California - Davis4.55%
Portland State University4.55%

Best majors for regional economists

RankMajorPercentages
1Economics31.3%
2Political Science12.5%
3Business9.4%
4Communication6.3%
5General Studies3.1%

Best colleges for regional economists

The best colleges for regional economists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A regional economist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for regional economists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become regional economists.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

9. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for regional economists

Advertising disclosure

1. Earth Economics

coursera

After this course you will be an Earth Economist that can provide evidence-based advise on the best global policy. As an Earth Economist you will better understand the behavior and advice of economists, have become a better economist yourself and know where to find Earth's data and how to analyze these world observations. Our planet is too important: we need you to get engaged! Earth Economics offers a completely new angle to policy analysis by its focus on the truly global level and its...

2. Business Opportunities and Risks in a Globalized Economy

coursera

This is the last of the three courses part of the Globalization, Economic Growth and Stability Specialization.¨Business Opportunities and Risks in a Globalized World¨ is the the 3rd and final course of the ¨Globalization, Economic Growth and Stability¨ Specialization taught by IE Business School's Professor Gayle Allard. This course is designed to help an investor, businessperson or economist approach macroeconomic, institutional and international data and derive information from the indicators...

3. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

udemy
4.5
(270)

This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...

4. Complete Data Wrangling & Data Visualisation With Python

udemy
4.4
(853)

Learn to Preprocess, Wrangle and Visualise Data For Practical Data Science Applications in Python...

5. Introduction to Economic Theories

coursera

Wondering why economists have not predicted serious financial crises? Shocked by economic assumptions of human behavior as self-centered and focusing only on what can be measured? Asking yourself if there are no sensible economic alternatives to free markets? Then you are at the right place to learn economics! This is the first online course that teaches economics from a pluralist perspective. Economic pluralism means that a plurality of theoretical and methodological viewpoints is regarded as...

6. Statistical Data Analysis with SAS

udemy
4.4
(575)

Understanding the Data Flow in SAS: Learn SAS Programming from Data Importing, Management, Manipulation to Data Analysis...

7. The Data Science Course: Complete Data Science Bootcamp 2023

udemy
4.6
(130,823)

Complete Data Science Training: Mathematics, Statistics, Python, Advanced Statistics in Python, Machine & Deep Learning...

8. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

udemy
4.6
(505)

How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...

9. Data Science:Data Mining & Natural Language Processing in R

udemy
4.7
(387)

Harness the Power of Machine Learning in R for Data/Text Mining, & Natural Language Processing with Practical Examples...

10. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS

udemy
4.4
(1,989)

Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...

11. Complete & Practical SAS, Statistics & Data Analysis Course

udemy
4.6
(1,744)

A complete guide and use cases study for job seekers and beginners -- start career in SAS, Statistics and Data science...

12. Data Analysis Excel for Beginners: Statistical Data Analysis

udemy
4.7
(358)

Data Analysis with Excel 2013 for Beginners. Business Data Analysis. Statistical Data Analysis with Case Studies...

13. Statistics / Data Analysis in SPSS: Inferential Statistics

udemy
4.7
(1,622)

Increase Your Data Analytic Skills – Highly Valued And Sought After By Employers...

14. R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science

udemy
4.7
(8,622)

Take Your R & R Studio Skills To The Next Level. Data Analytics, Data Science, Statistical Analysis in Business, GGPlot2...

15. Statistics for Data Science and Business Analysis

udemy
4.5
(39,897)

Statistics you need in the office: Descriptive & Inferential statistics, Hypothesis testing, Regression analysis...

16. Data Analysis with Pandas and Python

udemy
4.6
(20,640)

Analyze data quickly and easily with Python's powerful pandas library! All datasets included --- beginners welcome!...

17. Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R

udemy
4.6
(1,688)

Your Complete Guide to Statistical Data Analysis and Visualization For Practical Applications in R...

18. Complete Data Science Training with Python for Data Analysis

udemy
4.5
(1,893)

Beginners python data analytics : Data science introduction : Learn data science : Python data analysis methods tutorial...

19. Dynamic Dashboards and Data Analysis with Data Studio - 2022

udemy
4.7
(1,444)

Learn how to build powerful data visualizations and unlock insights with ease in Google Data Studio...

20. Economics: Market Forces of Demand, Supply and Equilibrium

udemy
4.5
(12,592)

Economics: Analyzing Demand, Supply and Market Equilibrium with real life case studies...

Top 10 most affordable universities for regional economists

The most affordable schools for regional economists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for regional economists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for regional economists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for regional economists

The hardest universities for regional economists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for regional economists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for regional economists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for regional economists

The easiest schools for regional economists to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a regional economist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for regional economists.

1. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average regional economist salary by education level

According to our data, regional economists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,578 annually. Regional economists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $55,516.
Regional economist education levelRegional economist salary
Master's Degree$55,516
Doctorate Degree$89,578

Regional economist education FAQs

Search for regional economist jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs