UCLA vs Washington University in St. Louis for economics: which is better for an undergrad interested in economics?

For an undergraduate focused on economics, UCLA makes more sense for the student who wants a large, high-energy public university with a very established economics ecosystem, broad course selection, and strong proximity to major job markets like Los Angeles. Washington University in St. Louis is often more appealing to the student who wants smaller classes sooner, more direct access to professors, and a more contained campus experience where advising can feel more personal. Both can prepare you well for grad school, consulting, finance, policy, or business-adjacent work, but the day-to-day experience is meaningfully different.

UCLA tends to suit students who are comfortable being proactive in a big system. Its economics department is well known, and the scale of the university creates lots of academic options, research activity, and student organizations tied to business, data, public policy, and finance. Being in LA also helps if you care about internships during the school year, especially in entertainment business, finance, tech, real estate, and policy-related spaces. The tradeoff is that intro and core classes can be large, and getting individualized attention may require more initiative.

WashU fits students who care a lot about classroom access and a more curated undergraduate environment. Economics there is strong, and many students benefit from easier faculty interaction, smaller discussion settings, and a campus culture that can feel less overwhelming than UCLA’s. If you are deciding partly based on teaching experience rather than sheer size of the department or city-based opportunities, WashU has a real advantage. It can be especially attractive for someone who wants economics in combination with business, statistics, political science, or pre-law interests in a flexible academic setting.

If your priority is the breadth of opportunities around economics and the energy of a major public university in a huge city, UCLA has the edge. If your priority is a more intimate undergraduate experience with closer mentorship and less competition for attention, WashU is often the more satisfying place to study economics.