Political Science and Government
Offered at 1,570 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 27 | $49,108 | — | $17,788 |
| Associate | 165 | — | $56,285 | — |
| Bachelor's | 1,051 | $43,207 | $68,223 | $20,992 |
| Master's | 191 | $59,659 | $83,506 | — |
| Doctoral | 115 | — | — | — |
| Professional | 1 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 20 | — | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $49,108, versus $43,207 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York University | NY | — | $106,700 | — |
| 2 | American University | DC | $55,185 | $100,928 | $21,229 |
| 3 | Utah State University | UT | $53,008 | — | — |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | WI | $49,108 | — | $18,202 |
| 5 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $46,961 | — | $13,000 |
| 6 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $41,835 | — | $16,250 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Camino Community College District | CA | — | $66,737 | — |
| 2 | Austin Community College District | TX | $36,241 | $63,432 | — |
| 3 | Salt Lake Community College | UT | — | $56,285 | — |
| 4 | San Diego Mesa College | CA | — | $54,182 | — |
| 5 | College of Western Idaho | ID | — | $49,431 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale University | CT | $68,303 | $131,489 | $16,067 |
| 2 | Princeton University | NJ | $87,334 | $117,522 | — |
| 3 | Dartmouth College | NH | $75,950 | $114,671 | $14,751 |
| 4 | Washington and Lee University | VA | $56,207 | $114,224 | $19,387 |
| 5 | University of Chicago | IL | $57,837 | $112,771 | $15,856 |
| 6 | Williams College | MA | $59,811 | $110,641 | $9,750 |
| 7 | Bucknell University | PA | $55,669 | $110,184 | $23,500 |
| 8 | Cornell University | NY | $62,009 | $109,977 | $11,720 |
| 9 | Bowdoin College | ME | $68,542 | $109,743 | $12,776 |
| 10 | Santa Clara University | CA | $52,348 | $108,579 | $19,500 |
| 11 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $50,127 | $108,436 | — |
| 12 | Lehigh University | PA | $58,633 | $105,634 | $23,077 |
| 13 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $60,034 | $105,586 | $14,549 |
| 14 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $64,041 | $104,418 | $19,000 |
| 15 | Barnard College | NY | $61,072 | $102,684 | $15,250 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $87,109 | $123,074 | — |
| 2 | George Washington University | DC | $80,259 | $113,626 | — |
| 3 | Georgetown University | DC | $60,698 | $111,532 | — |
| 4 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $58,969 | $89,962 | — |
| 5 | Florida State University | FL | $55,828 | $86,147 | — |
| 6 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $61,705 | $84,233 | — |
| 7 | Rutgers University-Newark | NJ | $61,705 | $84,233 | — |
| 8 | Pace University | NY | — | $83,506 | — |
| 9 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | — | $82,072 | — |
| 10 | St. John's University-New York | NY | $58,757 | $80,827 | — |
| 11 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | $53,584 | $79,939 | — |
| 12 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | CO | — | $78,917 | — |
| 13 | University of Florida | FL | — | $76,632 | — |
| 14 | American Public University System | WV | $67,643 | $75,586 | — |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $70,095 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | — | $95,830 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do political science and government graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in political science and government reports median earnings of $43,207. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
