Amherst vs Barnard for economics: which is stronger for an undergrad interested in econ?

Amherst has the edge for undergraduate economics. Its economics department is one of the college’s most established strengths, the major is especially central to campus academic life, and the open curriculum makes it easy to build a very focused econ pathway with math, statistics, and related social science courses without core requirements getting in the way.

Faculty access is also a real differentiator at Amherst. Because it is a small liberal arts college where undergraduates are the entire focus, econ students typically get close interaction with professors in class, office hours, and research settings. That matters in economics, where strong recommendation letters, thesis advising, and advanced seminar discussion can shape both grad school and early career options.

Barnard offers an important advantage through Columbia: access to a much larger university ecosystem in New York, including Columbia’s economics courses, research centers, and internship proximity. For a student who wants a broad urban network, more course volume, and easier term-time exposure to finance, policy, or think tank work, Barnard can be very attractive. But that same scale can make the academic experience feel less centered on undergraduate econ majors, especially in larger lecture settings.

Amherst also stands out for the way economics connects with its peer environment. Econ is a very popular and well-supported major there, and students often pair it with math, computer science, political science, or sociology in a deliberate, discussion-heavy setting.