Home›Majors›Political Science and Government

ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4510

Political Science and Government: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 3 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$123,818 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

—Modeled economic break-even

−117%Modeled 10-year ROI

$43,165Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$43,165Median reported earnings · year 4

$42,851Average reported earnings · year 5

$8,333Median federal debt

35thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

3Reporting programs

3With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $81,004
Federal debt: $21,375
Reporting programs: 4

3 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $43,165
Federal debt: $8,333
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $61,929
Federal debt: $23,708
Reporting programs: 609

568 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $75,523
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 16

16 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $105,203
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $114,020
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$37,495National median$43,16575th percentile$43,165

3 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1College of Western Idaho$48,247 2Diablo Valley College$43,165 3Austin Community College District$37,495

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Managers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 5 crosswalk linksPolitical ScientistsSOC 19-3094 · 5 crosswalk linksPolitical Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1065 · 4 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 4 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 2 crosswalk linksEconomics Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1063 · 1 crosswalk linksEconomistsSOC 19-3011 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	10-year ROI	Verdict
1	College of Western IdahoAssociate's Degree	Nampa, ID	$48,247	Not available	-70%	Negative payoff
2	Diablo Valley CollegeAssociate's Degree	Pleasant Hill, CA	$43,165	Not available	-117%	Negative payoff
3	Austin Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree	Austin, TX	$37,495	$8,333	-173%	Negative payoff

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.