2023 Best Online Economics Degrees

Liberty University (LU) is a large, private, Evangelical Christian institution based in Virginia offering an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Economics, which focuses on providing training in accounting, finance, business strategy, economic forecasting, and international trade. This 120-credit program takes full-time students about 3.5 years to complete. Students may transfer in up to 75% of degree requirements, with the potential to finish faster. LU accepts 99% of applicants, and 36% of students graduate with degrees.

LU's distance learners access the Canvas learning management system to participate in classes. The online business degree in economics has courses that include Modern Political and Economic Ideas, Business and Economic Forecasting, Money and the Financial System, and International Market Integration and Trade Agreements.

It's important to note that LU is not an LGBT-friendly institution. According to its 2022-2023 Student Code, "statements and behaviors that are associated with LGBT lifestyle are prohibited."

Popular for its online programming, Scottsdale's Arizona State University (ASU) is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Economics - Business that can help students build the competitive skills necessary for careers in banking and finance or help prepare for graduate studies. Graduating requires completing 120 credits — 41 classes — taking about four years of full-time study. Courses last 7.5 weeks. ASU has a 70% acceptance rate and a 47% graduation rate. Additionally, ASU offers an online Bachelor of Science in Economics - Liberal Arts.

ASU's distance learners access online coursework and instruction via Canvas. Economics distance learners take courses such as Principles of Management and Leadership, Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, and Applied Regression Analysis and Forecasting. This online bachelor's degree program culminates in a capstone project.

Florida International University (FIU) is a public, Hispanic-serving institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts in Economics that helps students develop an understanding of economic problems and institutions and the analytical tools used to solve contemporary challenges. The economics program curriculum is designed for students with careers in state and federal government and nonprofits in mind. Students complete 120 credits to graduate, taking about four years of full-time attendance. FIU has a 65% graduation and a 58% acceptance rate.

FIU delivers online lessons and lectures to its distance learners via Canvas. Those enrolled in the online economics degree participate in courses such as Measurement and Analysis of Econ Activity, Introduction to Econometrics, Intermediate Microeconomics, and Statistics for Business and Economics. Students complete an undergraduate seminar right before graduating.

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Economics. Either of these online economics degrees focuses on developing students' analytical strategies and mathematical theory understanding, as sought by today's employers. While the curricula for the online BA and BS programs are similar, the online BA focuses more on the qualitative aspect of economics, while the online BS focuses more on technical and quantitative skills. Graduating from either program requires 120 credits and can generally be done in four years if attending full time. Penn State has a 92% acceptance rate, and 70% of its students graduate (which is much higher than average).

Penn State uses Canvas to deliver online coursework and instruction. Economics distance learners access Canvas to log in to classes such as Environmental Economics, Money and Banking, Decision Making and Strategy in Economics, and Labor Economics.

Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts/Science in Economics through its Ecampus. This online program aims to help students gain quantitative and analytical skills to understand what motivates human behavior and grow as logical thinkers. Students complete 120 credits, and those attending full time can usually finish in four years. OSU accepts 89% of applicants, and 65% of students graduate with degrees.

OSU's Ecampus students access Canvas to complete assignments and participate in classes, such as those in the online economics degree program. These courses may include Public Policy Analysis, Introduction to Statistical Methods, Advanced Microeconomic Theory, and Pre-Econometrics. Ecampus students receive online student support services, such as success coaching, career guidance, and tutoring.

Missouri's Park University (PU) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Labor Economics that deals with the supply and demand of employees. This online labor economics degree can be part of PU's undergraduate to graduate program that enables bachelor's degree students to work toward a master's degree (MBA) after completing 60 undergraduate credits. Graduating with this online business administration degree requires approximately 120 credits, taking about four years of full-time enrollment. PU has an open admission policy, which means that it accepts 100% of applicants who want to attend. Meanwhile, 30% of students graduate with their degrees.

PU delivers online coursework and instruction via Canvas, a popular learning management system. Online labor economics students take 24 credits of specialized courses, such as Employment Law, International Negotiations, Labor Relations, and Intermediate Macroeconomics.

The Midwest's Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in Kansas is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and Economics that focuses on the international dimensions of product and resource markets and global business practices. Students complete 120 credits, with 36 in the international business and economics major. It generally takes full-time students four years to complete this online bachelor's degree program. FHSU has a 90% acceptance rate and a 57% graduation rate.

FHSU distance learners access online programming through Blackboard. Online international business and economics courses include Insurance Planning, Options and Futures Markets, Intermediate Finance, and Financial Markets and Institutions. Students may also choose to complete an internship.

Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Economics - Economic Problems that explores public economic policies and how economics influences policymaking. It's available as a degree-completion program for students with at least 30 transfer credits or a full-degree, start-to-finish program.

This is a 120-credit program generally takes full-time students four years to complete if completing the entire program. Students can potentially lessen this amount of time if participating in degree-completion programs. ODU has a 95% acceptance and has a 58% graduation rate.

ODU uses Canvas as its online learning platform, so distance learners can access coursework and instruction 100% virtually. Those enrolled in the online economic problems specialization participate in classes that cover urban economics, labor economics, the public sector, and transportation. Some example courses that are part of the major include Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, International Economics, and Macroeconomics.

Utah State University (USU) in Logan is a public, Native American Non-Tribal institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts/Science in Economics. This online degree in economics allows students to analyze the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, as well as how they impact the economy. The main difference between the BA and BS is that the former requires students to gain proficiency in at least one foreign language. Graduating requires completing 120 credits, which generally takes full-time students about four years. USU accepts 93% of applicants, while 55% of students graduate.

USU distance learners use Canvas to access the online curriculum in programs such as the BS/BA in Economics. Depending on the emphasis, the curriculum is built around courses such as Industrial Organization - Game Theory, Corporate Finance, History of Economic Thought, and Financial Modeling. Additionally, students may choose an area of emphasis, such as Economics Theory, Managerial Economics, and International Economics and Trade.

SUNY Empire State College (SUNY Empire) is a public institution in Upstate New York offering an online Bachelor of Arts in Business, Management, and Economics - Marketing to help students develop decision-making skills in order to deliver value to customers and their organizations. It addresses topics such as technology, consumer awareness and fatigue, globalization, ethics, and the drive for product development. Students complete 124 credits — including 24 in the marketing concentration—which usually takes about four years of full-time study. Due to its open admissions policy, SUNY Empire accepts 100% of applicants. Forty-seven percent of students graduate with degrees.

SUNY Empire uses Moodle to deliver coursework and instruction to distance learners. Those enrolled in the online bachelor's degree in business specializing in marketing take courses such as Business Analytics, Ethics and the Ecology of Business, Business Ethics, and Business Communication.