Walter Block and J. H. Heubert are comparing Loyola, LA and Grove City College, trying to identify the best school to learn Austrian Economics at the undergraduate level. I toss my very own N.C. State into the ring. There’s not a day that goes by where I am not grateful for what I learned and who I learned it from at N.C. State. The benefits of being at a large university and among sympathetic, but skeptical minds have been crucial. I do not mention in my comments at Mises the influence of Mike McElroy, Lee Craig, and Mike Wohlgenant, but these scholars are world-class, regularly published, influential, and available to students. The resources of the Pope Center and the John Locke Foundation only further serve to recommend Raleigh to the young person interested in good economics.
Not to sanction your pissing match, but is an Austrian undergraduate education what is best for the Austrian school in the long run?
I’m happy to be in the same class as another Mr. Snow, whom I expect many great things from, but I must say I cannot recommend N.C. State (my own Alma Mater) highly enough.
With E.C. Pasour still in his office quite regularly, David Ball lingering about, and Richard Stroup working in an adjunct role as well as Roy Cordato and Karen Palasek very much involved on campus we blow all but GMU out of the water. Add to the list the solid representation of the Alchian/Demsetz UCLA tradition through Margolis, Knoebber (who edited Hirschleifer’s text), and Newmark (BB&T chair), Andy Taylor in Political science, Mike Munger and Bruce Caldwell down the road at Duke, Paul Cwick and Robert Murphy nearby. The place to be for a solid foundation in economics, and excellent exposure to the Austrian School is in North Carolina. Just don’t go wearing baby blue.
Now, that last point is key. There are no good reasons to study economics at UNC. None. Zilch. I’d venture to say that over 90% of their students graduate without ever hearing the name “Hayek.” A tragedy.