Economics
Who gets what—and why it matters
If you’re curious about what drives inequality, prosperity, and power—this is a place to ask bold questions and use economics to make sense of it all. Once you start thinking like an economist, it’s hard to stop.
Make decisions in a world of scarcity
Why do some people go hungry while others waste food? How does climate change affect cities, jobs, and global trade? Who benefits from a tax cut—and who doesn’t? Why do recessions occur every now and then, and what can governments do about them? At Macalester, economics is your toolkit for understanding economic systems, weighing trade-offs, and making smarter, fairer decisions. It all adds up to something powerful. Economics gives you a set of tools to think systematically about the social problems you care about and drive real change.
Our students publish research
Our department is buzzing with active research. Our faculty actively publish on topics such as financial markets, global poverty, international trade, urban redevelopment, the informal economy, health, and environmental policy. Many students co-author papers and present at conferences before they even graduate. They gain experience in thinking deeply and working closely with experts to tackle hard problems.
The world is your classroom
We encourage you to study away, and many of our majors do. Many also intern in the Twin Cities, a metro area packed with opportunities in finance, policy, consulting, and community development, and in major cities throughout the country. These experiences often turn into full-time jobs—thanks in no small part to our robust alumni network, which opens doors in New York, D.C., and beyond.
Choose your adventure
You’ll find alumni everywhere, from Wall Street to the World Bank to local start-ups. Our students go into business, finance, or consulting. Others take what they’ve learned to graduate school. Some head into government or international organizations to work on big challenges like climate change, trade, or development, while others join non-profits or advocacy groups to make a difference in their communities. Our majors also start their own businesses, work in tech, or go into fields like urban planning.
Always be open. Have a long-term view, but follow the opportunities that come your way.Achal Sondhi ’07 Chief investment officer at Aquila Capital, economics major
A launch pad for economics careers
17
Number of Fortune 500 companies near campus, including Target, UnitedHealth Group, Best Buy, 3M, and General Mills
73
Percentage of Macalester students who do an internship or research project
Annual trips to New York City connect students with alumni working in investment banking
We show up for each other
Faculty know your name, students lead the conversation, and you can drop by office hours to talk about a problem set or a policy debate you heard on NPR. You’ll find community in all kinds of places: research seminars, student-led groups like Women in Econ, the Consulting Group, and the Investment Group, which manages a sizable portfolio. Further, our students are actively engaged in generating innovative policy solutions for the future through the Mayo Innovative Scholars Program and MacGPT.
Are you a future economics major at Macalester?
If you’re considering Mac, let us know. We’ll keep you up to date on application deadlines and visit opportunities.
