Leading the way in research and instruction

Whether teaching undergraduates the core principles of economics or conducting cutting-edge econometric research, the Tippie Department of Economics has an impact on thousands of students at the University of Iowa.

Academic programs

Economics Major

Economics majors choose one of three focused tracks and take a set of courses that teach how to use economic thinking to make better business and policy decisions.

BA/BS in Economics

Economics courses for these College of Liberal Arts & Sciences degrees are taught by Tippie faculty. The BA incorporates economic theory, mathematical tools, and applications, while the BS emphasizes the development of analytical skills.

PhD in Economics

Designed to prepare students to conduct research in economics.

# 1

College for econ majors in Iowa

Zippia.com, 2016

$ 53,000

Average starting salary for econ grads

Class of 2020

93 %

Econ alums employed or in grad school

within 6 months of graduation, 2020

Aerial photo of University of Iowa campus

Economics faculty

The Tippie Department of Economics is highly respected for the lectures and seminars presented throughout the year to faculty and students.

See our faculty

Students in class

Department research

From microeconomic theory to econometrics, Tippie’s experts are publishing salient research that covers the scope of the economics landscape.

Explore our research

Amrita Nain

Clarence Tow Lectures in Economics

The Clarence Tow Lectures are an on-campus series that cover a variety of economic concepts presented by scholars from around the country.

See the schedule

Recent news

KWWL logo

What major bank failures mean for Iowans

Monday, March 13, 2023
Emma'le Maas | KWWL
Over the weekend, two major bank failures took over headlines, prompting anxiousness over the future of the United States economy. “Banks fail sometimes, and that’s okay. Businesses go bankrupt, that’s part of a free enterprise system. It’s not the bank failures per se that are the problem," says Dr. Anne Villamil, professor of economics at the University of Iowa.
KCRG logo

State: Small amount of customers in Iowa concerned over bank failures

Monday, March 13, 2023
Ethan Stein | KCRG
Anne Villamil, who studies monetary policy at the University of Iowa, said banks in Iowa are less likely to fail because they work with a variety of groups and sectors of the economy, while Silicon Valley Bank catered to a specific group of people in one industry like tech start-ups.
Caleb Cook, Izzie Wilcox, and Lucas Manley

Tippie economics students win business case competition

Friday, March 3, 2023
By Tom Snee
A team of Tippie College of Business economics students captured first place in the University of Nebraska’s Tenaska Business Challenge case competition the weekend of Feb. 25 in Lincoln.

Join our team

Check out available faculty positions within the department.

See open positions

Contact us

Economics Department
S252 Pappajohn Business Building
319-335-0829

See department members

Support us

Your gift to the Department of Economics at the Tippie College of Business helps fund future innovations and initiatives.