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The Cornell University Department of Economics offers a unique combination of theoretical and analytical rigor, and concern for real world problems. An unusually broad range of courses gives students an understanding of the way economies operate and an insight into public issues. Currently, the department has more than 50 faculty members, 500 majors, 100 Ph.D. students, and serves over 5,000 students on campus each year.
Cornell University research finds listening to political opponents with shared values reduces polarization by moderating extreme views. Behavioral economist Michèle Belot in the College of Arts and Sciences led the study, published in The Economic Journal with Guglielmo Briscese.
Cornell University will host a major econometrics and AI conference June 16-17, 2026, convening leading researchers for nearly 200 presentations. The Econometric Society event explores AI-driven economics, data decision-making and industry applications.
Erik Thorbecke, a Cornell University professor of economics since 1974 and one of the creators of the widely used Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) Index for measuring poverty, died on April 26 at 97. His work on agriculture, poverty alleviation and nutrition helped shape modern development economics.
Caroline Smiltneks is majoring in economics and statistics.
Jerónimo Martín Duque is majoring in computer science, economics and mathematics.
Olivia Kim is majoring in economics and history of art & visual studies
Cornell University helped pioneer the collaborative field of behavioral economics, where economists and psychologists work side by side to uncover how human behavior drives decision-making in markets and beyond.
Click here to read more about the impact of our behavioral economics research
Undergraduate Program
Why study at Cornell? The Economics Department is shared by both the College of Arts & Sciences and by the ILR School, and we offer a variety of services to the Cornell undergraduate community.
Graduate Program
Our Ph.D. program field faculty consists of 91 economists drawn from the Economics Department and other departments and colleges across the university, offering students many opportunities. Students can focus their doctoral research on a wide range of economics-related topics
