Harvard vs. Notre Dame for economics: which is better for undergrad?

Harvard has the edge for undergraduate economics. Its economics department is one of the most prominent in the country, the course selection is unusually deep across theory, econometrics, development, behavioral economics, and finance, and the university’s location and alumni network create especially strong access to research, policy, consulting, and finance opportunities.

The biggest academic difference is depth and scale. Harvard offers more upper-level economics options, more overlap with math, statistics, government, and business-related coursework, and a larger concentration of faculty whose work shapes the field itself. For an undergrad, that usually means more chances to study niche topics, work with high-profile researchers, and find peers who are intensely focused on economics.

Research and professional access is another meaningful separator. Harvard undergrads can tap into a dense ecosystem that includes faculty research, policy institutes, nearby employers in Boston and Cambridge, and a very wide alumni base in economics-heavy fields. That matters if you may want a path into PhD study, top research assistant roles, major consulting firms, finance, or public policy.

Notre Dame is still an excellent place to study economics, and it has real strengths of its own. The undergraduate experience is often more personal, with a strong teaching culture, accessible professors, and a campus environment many students find more cohesive and community-oriented. If you value close faculty attention and a distinct campus culture, Notre Dame can be very appealing.

But for economics specifically, Harvard offers more academic firepower and broader opportunity attached to the major itself. If your question is which school gives you the strongest undergrad platform in economics, Harvard is the clearer answer.