Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis

Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis is published by Cambridge University Press and is in Zone 3 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Economic and Environmental Valuation, Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies and Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life, together about 35.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)

JBCA is the only journal devoted exclusively to benefit-cost analysis, the leading evidence-based analytical method for determining if the consequences of specific public actions make society better off overall. JBCA publishes theory, empirical analyses, case studies, and techniques. Applications include social programs related to education, crime, health, poverty, labor and housing as well as regulations and projects related to the environment, natural resources, transportation, safety, and security. The interdisciplinary nature, with contributors from a wide range of disciplines and areas of public policy, is unique. JBCA’s mission is to expand the use of serious, state-of-the art BCA by individuals and groups who make public policy decisions, those who advise, and those who implement the projects, programs, and policies. By serving as a bridge, the JBCA serves an important role that few other journals provide. As of October 24, 2024, all papers accepted by JBCA will be published via an Open Access license.

From the journal's Aims & Scope

Research area (LetPub): ECONOMICS

Editor-in-chief Caroline CecotPublisher website

Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 25, United Kingdom 1, France 1, Cyprus 1 (28 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website · 2026-09-29

CAS Journal Ranking

Database indexing

SSCIScopusLetPub

International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub

Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.

Impact

Impact factor

1.79LetPub · 2026-09-13

CiteScore 2026-06

3.1LetPub · 2026-09-13

SJR 2026-06

0.88LetPub · 2026-09-13

SNIP 2026-06

1.12LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

34OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

i10-index

152OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

2-year mean citedness

1.56OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

Self-citation rate

15.8%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Share of gold OA articles

82.61%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Volume

Articles per year

31LetPub · 2026-09-13

Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.

A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.

The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.

Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

ISSN

2194-5888

Electronic ISSN

2152-2812

Society / sponsor

Society for Benefit Cost Analysis

Official links

• Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
• Submission system ↗Publisher website
• Special issues ↗Publisher website