Political Science and Government: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 45.10. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,905 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 52 | 345 | $47,929 | $72,399 | $17,788 6 programs |
| Associate's degree | 213 | 2,212 | $34,854 | $45,147 | $14,227 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,172 | 39,672 | $43,306 | $63,293 | $20,992 508 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 267 | 1,864 | $60,737 | $78,850 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 145 | 745 | $76,315 | $90,908 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 49 | 101 | $76,625 | $112,003 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $55,185 | $81,004 | $21,229 |
| Utah State University UT · Public · 28 graduates measured | $53,008 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater WI · Public · 26 graduates measured | $49,108 | Data unavailable | $18,202 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 18 graduates measured | $46,961 | $70,537 | $13,000 |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $41,835 | Data unavailable | $16,250 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 17 graduates measured | $36,241 | $37,495 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $87,334 | $88,576 | Data unavailable |
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 117 graduates measured | $75,950 | $106,153 | $14,751 |
| Rice University TX · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $74,976 | $87,804 | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 33 graduates measured | $72,825 | $81,056 | $16,671 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 143 graduates measured | $72,705 | $100,245 | $21,500 |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 60 graduates measured | $71,819 | $95,838 | $7,500 |
| Trinity College CT · Private, nonprofit · 55 graduates measured | $70,112 | $94,097 | $26,500 |
| Bowdoin College ME · Private, nonprofit · 59 graduates measured | $68,542 | $89,253 | $12,776 |
| Yale University CT · Private, nonprofit · 80 graduates measured | $68,303 | $90,764 | $16,067 |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $66,320 | $88,459 | $13,500 |
| Swarthmore College PA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $65,928 | $58,372 | Data unavailable |
| Colgate University NY · Private, nonprofit · 45 graduates measured | $64,562 | $83,188 | $15,000 |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 107 graduates measured | $64,041 | $94,297 | $19,000 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus MD · Public · 44 graduates measured | $63,785 | $82,263 | $14,142 |
| The University of Arizona Global Campus AZ · Private, for-profit · 28 graduates measured | $63,415 | $54,740 | $38,281 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 106 graduates measured | $87,109 | $118,381 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 139 graduates measured | $80,259 | $106,674 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 17 graduates measured | $70,095 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 37 graduates measured | $67,643 | $74,802 | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $67,270 | $98,567 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 36 graduates measured | $61,705 | $68,463 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-Newark NJ · Public · 36 graduates measured | $61,705 | $68,463 | Data unavailable |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $61,517 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $60,698 | $79,929 | Data unavailable |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha NE · Public · 18 graduates measured | $60,530 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Eastern Illinois University IL · Public · 24 graduates measured | $59,659 | $63,359 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $58,969 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| St. John's University-New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $58,757 | $67,228 | Data unavailable |
| James Madison University VA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $57,767 | $86,137 | Data unavailable |
| Augusta University GA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $57,280 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Political Science and Government
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Economists | $124,720 | +4.7% | Master's degree |
| Political scientists | $142,080 | -2.0% | Master's degree |
| Social science research assistants | $61,990 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Economics teachers, postsecondary | $123,920 | +2.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Political science teachers, postsecondary | $98,070 | +2.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (5)
- 45.1001 Political Science and Government, General
- 45.1002 American Government and Politics (United States)
- 45.1003 Canadian Government and Politics
- 45.1004 Political Economy
- 45.1099 Political Science and Government, Other