University of Wyoming

It’s tempting to think economics is just the study of money. But it’s much broader than that. Economics looks at how we create economic value through trade, manage time and other scarce resources, build wealth, make informed decisions and influence behavior—issues that affect everyone on the planet.

For example, economic policies can improve local health, protect the environment and make it easier for students to afford college. Economic analysis helps companies better understand market forces, assists nations in predicting the outcomes of new initiatives and enables people to make appropriate financial and planning decisions.

Why study econ? Because the world needs more people who can think strategically, who can leverage data into great decisions and who can conduct unbiased policy analysis on the challenges facing us all including prosperity, poverty, trade, equality, energy and climate change.

Plus, economics is a great major for employment-ready graduates—students interested in higher salaries and analytical jobs in fields such as the environment, health, nonprofits, poverty and social welfare. It’s also excellent preparation for graduate work in law, political science, business and economics; UW graduates are routinely accepted into top graduate programs in the country.