Which is better for undergraduate economics: Northwestern or Brandeis?

For undergraduate economics, Northwestern has the deeper overall academic and career ecosystem. Its economics major offers substantial coursework in economic theory, econometrics, and applied fields, with unusually strong adjacent options in mathematics, statistics, computer science, and the Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences program. Northwestern’s Evanston location also gives students practical access to Chicago internships, employers, policy organizations, and alumni in finance, consulting, technology, and research.

Academically, Northwestern is especially compelling for a student who may want rigorous quantitative training or plans to pursue graduate study in economics. The university’s larger research environment makes it easier to find advanced electives and faculty work across areas such as labor, development, industrial organization, macroeconomics, and behavioral economics. Students can build an economics education that is highly mathematical without being limited to a narrowly preprofessional business curriculum.

Brandeis has a respected economics department and can provide a more intimate liberal-arts experience. Smaller classes and closer faculty relationships may be easier to find there, particularly for students who value discussion-based courses and want professors to know them well. Its location near Boston also creates access to internships and a strong academic community.