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Department of Economics

We are a vibrant intellectual community combining rigorous analytical tools with social issues of equity and sustainability. Learn how an economics degree makes you stand out and gives you more career options than a business degree.

Is economics still worth it in the age of AI?

Short answer: more than ever. Here's the data:

Jo Barbier Associate Professor teaches ECON 240 – Economics of Environmental Sustainability

Department of Economics

We are a vibrant intellectual community combining rigorous analytical tools with social issues of equity and sustainability.

Is Economics Still Worth It in the Age of AI?

Short Answer: more than ever. Here's the data:

Get to Know Us

As part of CSU’s College of Liberal Arts, we go beyond supply-and-demand to address big-picture debates about economic perspectives and policies. Explore our department’s latest research and meet the people who make our work possible.

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Who Are You?

Undergraduate Students

Prepare for your future in a major with flexibility, rigor, and real-world impact.

Ph.D. Students

Discover our reputation for excellence in political economy, environmental economics, regional economics, and more.

Find Your Community

Undergraduate students sitting in a circle on grass during the Undergraduate Student Social
Professor Anita Pena, an instructor in the Economics Department of the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University, teachesthe Economic Development class on February 18, 2026.

In the Department of Economics at CSU, you will be immersed in a vibrant learning community that supports the intellectual development and professional aspirations of its students and faculty. Our faculty members are caring teachers and prolific scholars who have active research agendas, providing many opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students to collaborate. Our goal is to prepare our students to be critical thinkers who understand the debates about economic methodology and policy, as well as the techniques of economic analysis.

Greetings from the Chair

August 28, 2025

Welcome to the Department of Economics at Colorado State University, a vibrant intellectual community within the state’s land-grant university. Only 60 miles from Denver and located in the scenic foothills of Colorado’s Front Range, the department offers a high quality education at the relatively affordable cost of a public university. Housed in the College of […]