Economics is the study of how society uses its scarce resources. The goal of the department is to promote an understanding of economic aspects of society and to develop each student's ability to reason about economic issues - that is, to provide a basis for intelligent, responsible participation in modern society. The major is comprised of eight, four credit economics classes with accompanying course work in history and mathematics. View more information about the major.

Economics
Why Major in Economics

Because Econ Is Awesome
Cora Touchstone ’19, a transfer student from Georgia, lights up when asked what she likes about econ. “It's awesome,” she says with a grin. “It’s this cool dynamic — a social science infused with STEM that allows you to create mathematical models of society.”

To Combine Disciplines
Pranjal Drall ’20, from New Delhi, India, was into physics and math when he first stepped on campus. But he was also interested in public policy, so during the second semester of his first year, Drall took Intro to Economics.

Investing, Investing, Investing
Henry Gray ’20 wakes up thinking about investing and goes to sleep thinking about investing. Since high school, he knew he’d major in economics. But one of the ways he learned about Grinnell was through reading about Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, Nebraska.
What It’s Like to Do Research in Economics
If you’re thinking about studying economics, make sure you take a look at the economics seminars Grinnell offers. Not only do you have a wide range of topics to choose from — 2 are required for majors — but in each seminar, you’ll do a deep dive into a research project of your choice, with your professor right there beside you.
We checked in with 2 econ majors, recent grads, about their seminar research experiences.
Finding a Research Focus
Of the 8 different economics seminars offered during the 2017–18 school year, the Seminar in Economic Development, taught by Tamara McGavock, assistant professor of economics, was Duy Duong ’18’s first choice. “I've always been interested in global development issues,” he says. “How to frame that in an econ context is something that I'm particularly interested in.”

When Research Interests Overlap and Intersect
As an economics and political science double-major, Lucy Bales ’18 is “especially interested in the potential policy applications of economic theory.” She took Economics of Crime with Logan Lee, assistant professor of economics, and Law and Economics with Brad Graham, associate professor of economics.
Economics Career Outcomes
First Destinations
- 79% Employment
- 12% Graduate School
- 2% Post-Graduate Service
- 2% Fellowships
- 0% Continuing Education
- 5% Other
Employment
Positions Related to Career Goals
Employer
- Bloomberg LP
- BNY Mellon
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York
- Future of Humanity Institute
- International Monetary Fund
- McKinsey & Company
- Morningstar
- NERA Economic Consulting
- RAND Corporation
- Urban Labs, University of Chicago
Graduate Schools
Graduate School Acceptance Info
Institutions
- Brandeis University
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Georgetown University
- Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
- University College London
- University of Michigan
- Yale University
Department Information
Humanities and Social Sciences Center
1226 Park Street
Grinnell, IA 50112
United States