How much debt do Gustavus Adolphus College economics graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $24,474, which ranks 4th lowest of 10 economics bachelor's programs in Minnesota. That works out to about $259 a month over 10 years.

Is a economics degree from Gustavus Adolphus College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 47% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 43%. Compare the cost with other Minnesota programs before deciding.

Gustavus Adolphus College Economics (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Gustavus Adolphus College economics graduates stay in Minnesota?

Most do. 92% (35 of 38) were working in Minnesota one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Economics
Private nonprofit college
Saint Peter, MN
About 31 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Gustavus Adolphus College economics graduates earn about what economics graduates earn nationally, $52,439 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,474 in federal loans, close to the national median of $22,717. Several Minnesota programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$52,43953rd percentile of 338 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$90,54573% more than year one

Median federal debt$24,4744th lowest of 10 Minnesota programs

Debt-to-earnings47%Minnesota median 47%, national 43%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Minnesota and national columns are the medians across all economics bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Gustavus Adolphus College	Minnesota	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$52,439	$56,570	$51,725
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$90,545	$81,179	$77,760
Median federal debt at graduation	$24,474	$24,600	$22,717
Debt as share of first-year pay	47%	47%	43%
Programs compared		10	338

Five years out, Gustavus Adolphus College graduates earn more than the national figure and about $9,366 more than the Minnesota median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Minnesota economics program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Minnesota medians.

Gustavus Adolphus CollegeOther Minnesota programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 73% between the first and fifth year.

Gustavus Adolphus College grads, year 1$52,439

Gustavus Adolphus College grads, year 5$90,545

All Minnesota economics grads, year 5$81,179

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $259 a month, or 5.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

92% of graduates (35 of 38) were working in Minnesota one year after graduating. Prices in the Mankato area are about 9% below the national average, so a $52,439 salary here buys what about $57,654 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to economics, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$76,460

Median pay in Minnesota. 16,020 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $49,160Top 10%: $121,220

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

$87,510

Median pay in Minnesota. 21,280 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 82,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $50,400Top 10%: $143,180

Data Scientists

$128,800

Median pay in Minnesota. 4,020 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $65,730Top 10%: $179,640

Social Science Research Assistants

$44,920

Median pay in Minnesota. 300 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $38,080Top 10%: $68,070

About Gustavus Adolphus College

Tuition and fees	$56,076 / year
Average net price after aid	$22,900 / year
Admission rate	61%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	77%
Undergraduate students	1,878

Economics ranks 3rd of 14 bachelor's programs at Gustavus Adolphus College by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($71,294), Accounting ($64,094), and Economics ($52,439).

Other economics bachelor's programs near Saint Peter

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN · private nonprofit		$52,439	$24,474
St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · private nonprofit	40 mi	$56,238	$27,000
Carleton CollegeNorthfield, MN · private nonprofit	41 mi	$66,567	$19,500
St Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	57 mi	$64,916	$30,215
Augsburg UniversityMinneapolis, MN · private nonprofit	57 mi	$45,720	$27,000
University of St Thomas (Minnesota)Saint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	58 mi	$60,323	$24,600
University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	58 mi	$56,902	$21,500
Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	58 mi	$59,752	$24,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $52,439 one year after graduating and $90,545 five years after. The median across economics bachelor's programs in Minnesota is $56,570.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Minnesota comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the economics program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Economics bachelor's programs in Minnesota, ranked10 programs by pay and debt Economics bachelor's programs in the US, ranked338 programs by pay and debt All Gustavus Adolphus College programs, ranked14 programs by pay and debt