Is Tulane or UC Berkeley better for economics?

UC Berkeley is the stronger choice for economics.

One big difference is scale and depth within the major. Berkeley offers a very broad economics curriculum, with more specialized upper-level options in areas like econometrics, development, labor, public economics, finance, and theory. That matters if your interests change once you get to college, because you are more likely to find advanced classes, faculty working in your area, and classmates aiming for research, consulting, finance, or policy.

Another differentiator is the surrounding ecosystem. Berkeley students benefit from proximity to the Bay Area, which creates especially strong access to internships, research centers, tech-adjacent economic work, and public policy opportunities. For economics students who may want to connect classroom work to data analysis, business, startups, government, or quantitative research, Berkeley’s location and network are a real advantage.

Tulane can still be appealing in the classroom experience itself. It tends to offer a smaller, more intimate undergraduate environment, and some students prefer that to Berkeley’s size and pace. You may find it easier to build close relationships with professors earlier, and New Orleans offers its own policy, nonprofit, and business opportunities, especially tied to urban issues and public service.

The main tradeoff is that Berkeley is likely to be more demanding and more crowded, while Tulane may feel more personal and easier to navigate. But if the question is which school is stronger for economics as a field of study, Berkeley has the clearer edge because of the department’s reputation, breadth, and professional reach.