Middlebury or Notre Dame for economics: which is better for undergrads?

The biggest practical tradeoff is liberal arts depth at Middlebury versus a larger university ecosystem at Notre Dame. For economics specifically, Middlebury offers a very undergraduate-centered department with small classes and close faculty access, while Notre Dame gives you a broader set of campus resources and more research infrastructure. Both can prepare you very well, but they feel different in day-to-day academic life.

Middlebury’s economics program is especially appealing if you want intimate discussion-based classes, professors who are highly accessible, and a campus where undergraduates are the clear priority. Economics is one of its more established and popular majors, and the liberal arts setting can be a real advantage if you want to pair econ with math, political science, environmental studies, or languages. For students interested in graduate school, policy, or a more academic version of economics, that close mentorship can matter a lot.

Notre Dame has the edge if you want a somewhat bigger platform around the major. You have access to a wider university network and more institutional scale. The economics major itself is well regarded, and being at a larger national university can create more options around research centers and interdisciplinary work.

In terms of pure undergraduate teaching quality, Middlebury is arguably the more distinctive economics experience because of its small-college intensity. In terms of overall reach and breadth of opportunity around the major, Notre Dame likely offers more. If the question is which school has the stronger overall economics program for an undergraduate student, I would give a slight nod to Notre Dame, while Middlebury is the more compelling choice if close faculty interaction and a true liberal arts environment are what you value most.