Advice on choosing a college

I have been scouring the internet for information on the best libertarian/Austrian leaning Economics programs for both undergraduate and Ph.D.  I am currently in active duty military service but will be leaving the Air Force in December of 2009 and would like to pursue an academic career in Economics.  I'm a non-typical undergraduate being married and 27 years old by the time I separate from the military.  I'm considering George Mason and Auburn for an undergraduate program.  Dr. David Henderson of the Naval Postgraduate School suggested Clemson as a Ph.D. program.

I've read Mark Skousen's guide to Austrian programs, but I'd like to hear the suggestions of members here.  I'm not only interested in the school itself but opportunities for education, volunteering, and support from organizations in the surrounding area.  For example, Auburn has the Von Mises Institute and GMU has the Institute for Humane Studies.

Block has a more comprehensive guide than Skousen (for those interested, this is what is being referred to), which was posted up in the economics forum. TBH, I haven't been to any of those unis so I can't really offer much more advice. What is your quantitative background?

-Jon

Thanks, Jon.  I haven't taken any serious quantitative courses at the college level.  I graduated high school with a little exposure to calculus.

Then you might want to take some refresher courses (especially in calculus and statistics) before considering any of those universities - almost all economics courses involve a significant degree of maths nowadays.

-Jon

Don't forget New York University. It's considered a top school for grad school economics (at least according to econphd.net).

Besides NYU, the only schools with Austrian programs (for undergrad) that I know of are GMU, Auburn, and Loyola New Orleans.

Good luck.

Why do you want a degree in economics?

If you really want to learn *REAL* economics, then you're better off reading various sites on the Internet (such as my blog).

If you think a degree in economics will guarantee you a decent job, that's another reason.  You may get a decent job, *BUT* you may not have actually learned anything useful.

My ideal career involves teaching, doing economic research, writing on economic policy for academic journals and non-academic periodicals in lay terms, and participating in Austrian and liberty conferences/educational events like the FEE seminars, Freedom Fest, etc.

Well there is a good reason to have a degree - it'll allow him to understand mainstream econ, and be able to attack it on its own terms. Even if Austrian econ is the correct economics, it is a disadvantage to not be conversant in today's fashionable lingo. Personally, I just want to know proper economics - I do not care overly much about what mainstream economists do, although I have an awareness.

-Jon

You might consider Grove City, PA and Trinity in Hartford.  Grove City has an explicitly Austrian program - perhaps not great for grad school admissions, but a solid Austrian education.  Trinity now has three Austrians on faculty.  San Jose State College in CA could also be a good choice, as could Suffolk University in Boston, which is actively seeking Austrian grad students.

As for volunteering, at Trinity there is a free-market think tank located on the campus, and the Connecticut LP could always use some help.