Political Science and Government: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 609 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$94,551 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
15.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
−36%Modeled 10-year ROI
$61,929Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$61,929Median reported earnings · year 4
$64,039Average reported earnings · year 5
$23,708Median federal debt
50thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
609Reporting programs
568With year-4 earnings
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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $43,165
- Federal debt
- $8,333
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,929
- Federal debt
- $23,708
- Reporting programs
- 609
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $75,523
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 16
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $105,203
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $114,020
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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$55,548National median$61,92975th percentile$68,800
568 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Johns Hopkins University$121,7292Dartmouth College$106,1533Vanderbilt University$102,7894Columbia University in the City of New York$100,2455Colby College$96,6216Harvard University$95,8387Cornell University$95,3918Washington and Lee University$95,1909University of Notre Dame$94,29710Trinity College$94,097Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
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 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $121,729 | Not available | +201% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Dartmouth CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hanover, NH | $106,153 | $17,500 | +105% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Vanderbilt UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $102,789 | $12,000 | +137% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $100,245 | $22,943 | +107% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Colby CollegeBachelor's Degree | Waterville, ME | $96,621 | $27,000 | +108% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Harvard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $95,838 | Not available | +98% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $95,391 | $14,400 | +71% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Washington and Lee UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lexington, VA | $95,190 | Not available | +82% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | University of Notre DameBachelor's Degree | Notre Dame, IN | $94,297 | $19,000 | +72% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Trinity CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $94,097 | $25,000 | +54% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Bucknell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lewisburg, PA | $94,028 | $26,000 | +43% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Emory UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $94,001 | $17,590 | +81% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Santa Clara UniversityBachelor's Degree | Santa Clara, CA | $93,518 | $21,750 | +28% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $93,033 | $14,722 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | Washington University in St LouisBachelor's Degree | St. Louis, MO | $90,778 | $18,500 | +71% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Yale UniversityBachelor's Degree | New Haven, CT | $90,764 | $15,000 | +66% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | Lehigh UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bethlehem, PA | $90,302 | $21,150 | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | Elon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Elon, NC | $89,685 | $20,500 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | Bowdoin CollegeBachelor's Degree | Brunswick, ME | $89,253 | $19,634 | +86% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | Princeton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Princeton, NJ | $88,576 | Not available | +113% | Strong payoff |
| 21 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $88,459 | $14,016 | +46% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Williams CollegeBachelor's Degree | Williamstown, MA | $88,339 | $10,750 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | College of the Holy CrossBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $88,088 | $27,000 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Hamilton CollegeBachelor's Degree | Clinton, NY | $88,019 | $12,500 | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | Lafayette CollegeBachelor's Degree | Easton, PA | $87,904 | $13,640 | +35% | Positive payoff |
| 26 | University of ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $87,869 | $18,500 | +79% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Rice UniversityBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $87,804 | Not available | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 28 | Boston CollegeBachelor's Degree | Chestnut Hill, MA | $86,537 | $18,000 | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 29 | Wake Forest UniversityBachelor's Degree | Winston-Salem, NC | $85,668 | $23,133 | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 30 | Brown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $85,388 | $14,481 | +44% | Positive payoff |
| 31 | Fairfield UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fairfield, CT | $83,709 | $27,000 | +4% | Positive payoff |
| 32 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $83,209 | $11,745 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 33 | Colgate UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hamilton, NY | $83,188 | $16,250 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 34 | Villanova UniversityBachelor's Degree | Villanova, PA | $83,179 | $25,620 | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 35 | University of Maryland Global CampusBachelor's Degree | Adelphi, MD | $82,263 | $17,600 | +39% | Positive payoff |
| 36 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $81,843 | $17,665 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 37 | Loyola University MarylandBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $81,575 | $27,000 | +21% | Positive payoff |
| 38 | American Public University SystemBachelor's Degree | Charles Town, WV | $81,056 | $18,304 | +65% | Positive payoff |
| 39 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $80,957 | $20,500 | +10% | Positive payoff |
| 40 | Saint Anselm CollegeBachelor's Degree | Manchester, NH | $80,763 | $27,000 | +12% | Positive payoff |
| 41 | Bates CollegeBachelor's Degree | Lewiston, ME | $80,714 | $11,532 | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 42 | Hobart William Smith CollegesBachelor's Degree | Geneva, NY | $79,778 | $27,000 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 43 | George Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $79,692 | $23,000 | +6% | Positive payoff |
| 44 | Georgetown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $79,502 | $16,500 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 45 | DePauw UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greencastle, IN | $79,117 | $27,000 | +27% | Positive payoff |
| 46 | Bryant UniversityBachelor's Degree | Smithfield, RI | $78,579 | $23,250 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 47 | University of Virginia-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Charlottesville, VA | $78,310 | $18,015 | +25% | Positive payoff |
| 48 | Tufts UniversityBachelor's Degree | Medford, MA | $78,180 | $17,725 | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 49 | Barnard CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $77,805 | $19,000 | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 50 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $77,480 | $18,862 | +40% | Positive payoff |
| 51 | Middlebury CollegeBachelor's Degree | Middlebury, VT | $77,444 | $19,500 | +6% | Positive payoff |
| 52 | Rollins CollegeBachelor's Degree | Winter Park, FL | $76,600 | $25,362 | -1% | Negative payoff |
| 53 | Gettysburg CollegeBachelor's Degree | Gettysburg, PA | $76,597 | $27,000 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 54 | Case Western Reserve UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, OH | $76,451 | Not available | -9% | Negative payoff |
| 55 | Mercyhurst UniversityBachelor's Degree | Erie, PA | $76,154 | $25,000 | +21% | Positive payoff |
| 56 | Stonehill CollegeBachelor's Degree | Easton, MA | $76,123 | $25,000 | -0% | Negative payoff |
| 57 | The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | $75,988 | $20,500 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 58 | Pepperdine UniversityBachelor's Degree | Malibu, CA | $75,954 | $23,625 | -25% | Negative payoff |
| 59 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $75,687 | $24,250 | +10% | Positive payoff |
| 60 | Providence CollegeBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $75,637 | $27,000 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 61 | St Lawrence UniversityBachelor's Degree | Canton, NY | $75,486 | $27,000 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 62 | Texas Christian UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fort Worth, TX | $75,419 | $25,000 | -7% | Negative payoff |
| 63 | Miami University-OxfordBachelor's Degree | Oxford, OH | $75,374 | $25,000 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 64 | Syracuse UniversityBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $75,239 | $26,799 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 65 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $75,128 | $13,000 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 66 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $75,090 | $12,869 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 67 | Union CollegeBachelor's Degree | Schenectady, NY | $75,005 | $26,899 | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 68 | Franklin and Marshall CollegeBachelor's Degree | Lancaster, PA | $74,822 | $19,000 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 69 | Saint Mary's CollegeBachelor's Degree | Notre Dame, IN | $74,623 | Not available | +5% | Positive payoff |
| 70 | Furman UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greenville, SC | $74,476 | $27,000 | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 71 | University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's Degree | College Park, MD | $74,437 | $18,768 | +21% | Positive payoff |
| 72 | Fordham UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $74,419 | $24,575 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 73 | Marist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $74,308 | $23,250 | -15% | Negative payoff |
| 74 | Gonzaga UniversityBachelor's Degree | Spokane, WA | $74,303 | $23,124 | -9% | Negative payoff |
| 75 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $74,202 | $15,000 | +27% | Positive payoff |
| 76 | Connecticut CollegeBachelor's Degree | New London, CT | $74,190 | $24,800 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 77 | George Mason UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fairfax, VA | $74,125 | $22,000 | +16% | Positive payoff |
| 78 | Wabash CollegeBachelor's Degree | Crawfordsville, IN | $74,061 | $27,000 | +5% | Positive payoff |
| 79 | Brandeis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $74,018 | $23,333 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 80 | Marquette UniversityBachelor's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $74,008 | $22,500 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 81 | The Catholic University of AmericaBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $73,917 | $25,000 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 82 | Quinnipiac UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hamden, CT | $73,833 | $27,000 | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 83 | Claremont McKenna CollegeBachelor's Degree | Claremont, CA | $73,826 | Not available | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 84 | American UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $73,604 | $23,250 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 85 | Northeastern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $73,539 | $22,579 | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 86 | Northeastern University Professional ProgramsBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $73,539 | $22,579 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 87 | Suffolk UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $73,484 | $27,000 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 88 | James Madison UniversityBachelor's Degree | Harrisonburg, VA | $73,326 | $20,000 | +4% | Positive payoff |
| 89 | Northwestern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Evanston, IL | $73,231 | $16,834 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 90 | Binghamton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Vestal, NY | $73,044 | $20,000 | +5% | Positive payoff |
| 91 | Wellesley CollegeBachelor's Degree | Wellesley, MA | $72,830 | $12,500 | -1% | Negative payoff |
| 92 | The University of the SouthBachelor's Degree | Sewanee, TN | $72,682 | $24,267 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 93 | High Point UniversityBachelor's Degree | High Point, NC | $72,564 | Not available | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 94 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $72,487 | $14,000 | +16% | Positive payoff |
| 95 | University of Washington-Bothell CampusBachelor's Degree | Bothell, WA | $72,487 | $14,000 | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 96 | University of Washington-Tacoma CampusBachelor's Degree | Tacoma, WA | $72,487 | $14,000 | +25% | Positive payoff |
| 97 | Occidental CollegeBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $72,441 | $25,700 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 98 | St. Mary's College of MarylandBachelor's Degree | St. Mary's City, MD | $72,397 | $25,000 | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 99 | Fort Hays State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hays, KS | $72,384 | $30,468 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 100 | Loyola Marymount UniversityBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $72,375 | $22,146 | -27% | 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.