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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4510

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

National picture across 16 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$75,523 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$75,523Median year-4 earnings

$22,136Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$75,523Median reported earnings · year 4

$83,855Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

48thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

16Reporting programs

16With 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 →OPEN PROFILE

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 →CURRENT VIEW

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$68,463National median$75,52375th percentile$86,137

16 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Johns Hopkins University$118,381 2George Washington University$106,674 3American University$98,567 4University of Florida$86,694 5James Madison University$86,137 6Georgetown University$79,929 7Florida State University$76,608 8University of Illinois Springfield$76,243 9American Public University System$74,802 10Regent University$70,319

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. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Johns Hopkins UniversityMaster's Degree	Baltimore, MD	$118,381	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,809
2	George Washington UniversityMaster's Degree	Washington, DC	$106,674	Not available	Baseline needed	$36,586
3	American UniversityMaster's Degree	Washington, DC	$98,567	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,943
4	University of FloridaMaster's Degree	Gainesville, FL	$86,694	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,541
5	James Madison UniversityMaster's Degree	Harrisonburg, VA	$86,137	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,322
6	Georgetown UniversityMaster's Degree	Washington, DC	$79,929	Not available	Baseline needed	$40,815
7	Florida State UniversityMaster's Degree	Tallahassee, FL	$76,608	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,297
8	University of Illinois SpringfieldMaster's Degree	Springfield, IL	$76,243	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,833
9	American Public University SystemMaster's Degree	Charles Town, WV	$74,802	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,597
10	Regent UniversityMaster's Degree	Virginia Beach, VA	$70,319	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,923
11	Southern New Hampshire UniversityMaster's Degree	Manchester, NH	$68,469	Not available	Baseline needed	$36,708
12	Rutgers University-New BrunswickMaster's Degree	New Brunswick, NJ	$68,463	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,406
13	Rutgers University-NewarkMaster's Degree	Newark, NJ	$68,463	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,703
14	St. John's University-New YorkMaster's Degree	Queens, NY	$67,228	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,999
15	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusMaster's Degree	Denver, CO	$64,565	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,900
16	Eastern Illinois UniversityMaster's Degree	Charleston, IL	$63,359	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,786

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.