Political Science and Government bachelor's degree programs in California

Compare 47 reporting programs using the same federal field and bachelor's degree credential definition. Earnings are observed four years after completion.

47Programs reporting earnings

$63,107Median year-4 earnings

$17,045Median federal debt

42Programs reporting debt

OUTCOME SPREAD

Highest reported earnings in California

Each bar uses the same field, credential, state and earnings year.

1Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara · $21,750 federal debt$93,518 2California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo · $17,665 federal debt$81,843 3Pepperdine UniversityMalibu · $23,625 federal debt$75,954 4University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley · $13,000 federal debt$75,128 5University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles · $12,869 federal debt$75,090 6University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles · $15,000 federal debt$74,202 7Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont · Debt not reported$73,826 8Occidental CollegeLos Angeles · $25,700 federal debt$72,441 9Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles · $22,146 federal debt$72,375 10University of San FranciscoSan Francisco · $23,000 federal debt$72,263

CAREER CONTEXT IN CA

What related occupations pay in California

These are common occupational matches for this field, ranked by the strength of the federal education-to-occupation match.

11-9199Managers, All Other

State median wage: $174,560
Middle 50% wage range: $132,000–$221,560
State employment: 99,580
Projected growth: +4.9%
Annual openings: 100,900

10th–90th percentile: $98,280–$303,680

25-1065Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

State median wage: $124,890
Middle 50% wage range: $100,380–$165,810
State employment: 1,060
Projected growth: +2.5%
Annual openings: 1,500

10th–90th percentile: $67,510–$212,210

25-2031Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

State median wage: $101,370
Middle 50% wage range: $79,710–$125,920
State employment: 99,230
Projected growth: -0.2%
Annual openings: 63,500

10th–90th percentile: $64,600–$132,600

19-4061Social Science Research Assistants

State median wage: $60,250
Middle 50% wage range: $41,670–$84,990
State employment: 5,300
Projected growth: +5.0%
Annual openings: 4,900

10th–90th percentile: $38,060–$117,070

25-1063Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

State median wage: $137,360
Middle 50% wage range: $100,310–$205,580
State employment: 770
Projected growth: +2.4%
Annual openings: 1,000

10th–90th percentile: $79,050–$266,470

19-3011Economists

State median wage: $119,410
Middle 50% wage range: $91,320–$164,770
State employment: 860
Projected growth: +4.7%
Annual openings: 1,100

10th–90th percentile: $74,030–$207,380

Career wages and employment are BLS estimates for everyone working in each occupation in California; they are not earnings or placement rates for graduates of these programs. Wage ranges show the distribution across workers, not an entry-to-experienced career path. Growth and annual openings are national 2025–35 projections. BLS reports openings in thousands; DegreeVerdict displays the corresponding job count. These figures provide labor-market context and are not used in DegreeVerdict payoff or ROI calculations.

ALL REPORTING PROGRAMS

Compare every available outcome

Sorted by observed year-4 earnings. Open a row for its exact college-and-degree profile.

#	College	City	Median year-4 earnings	Median federal debt
1	Santa Clara University	Santa Clara	$93,518	$21,750
2	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo	$81,843	$17,665
3	Pepperdine University	Malibu	$75,954	$23,625
4	University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley	$75,128	$13,000
5	University of Southern California	Los Angeles	$75,090	$12,869
6	University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles	$74,202	$15,000
7	Claremont McKenna College	Claremont	$73,826	Not available
8	Occidental College	Los Angeles	$72,441	$25,700
9	Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles	$72,375	$22,146
10	University of San Francisco	San Francisco	$72,263	$23,000
11	California State University, East Bay	Hayward	$71,022	$19,544
12	University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	$70,384	$16,485
13	Chapman University	Orange	$68,856	$20,741
14	Pitzer College	Claremont	$68,831	Not available
15	University of California, Davis	Davis	$67,759	$14,250
16	University of California, San Diego	La Jolla	$67,713	$16,030
17	University of California, Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	$65,890	$16,782
18	Biola University	La Mirada	$65,558	$24,344
19	Sonoma State University	Rohnert Park	$65,009	$16,956
20	San Diego State University	San Diego	$64,824	$17,068
21	California Baptist University	Riverside	$64,605	$26,400
22	University of Redlands	Redlands	$64,353	$26,000
23	University of California, Irvine	Irvine	$63,318	$16,293
24	University of La Verne	La Verne	$63,107	$22,000
25	University of California, Merced	Merced	$62,815	$17,500
26	Saint Mary's College of California	Moraga	$62,651	$25,967
27	University of San Diego	San Diego	$62,301	$26,000
28	California State University, Fresno	Fresno	$62,298	$14,528
29	San Francisco State University	San Francisco	$61,915	$17,000
30	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	Pomona	$61,712	$15,000
31	California State University, Chico	Chico	$61,293	$20,423
32	California State University, Sacramento	Sacramento	$60,278	$16,084
33	California Lutheran University	Thousand Oaks	$60,243	$21,125
34	California State University, Long Beach	Long Beach	$59,787	$14,928
35	California State University, Dominguez Hills	Carson	$59,558	$10,268
36	California State University, Channel Islands	Camarillo	$58,306	$15,000
37	California State University, Northridge	Northridge	$57,527	$14,202
38	University of California, Riverside	Riverside	$56,740	$18,300
39	California State University, Stanislaus	Turlock	$56,330	$15,484
40	California State University, Los Angeles	Los Angeles	$56,063	$10,614
41	Whittier College	Whittier	$55,853	Not available
42	California State University, Fullerton	Fullerton	$53,966	$15,000
43	California State University, San Bernardino	San Bernardino	$53,378	$17,045
44	California State University, Bakersfield	Bakersfield	$51,882	Not available
45	California State University, San Marcos	San Marcos	$50,857	$19,485
46	University of the Pacific	Stockton	$50,827	Not available
47	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	Arcata	$41,994	$19,159

This is an observed-outcomes comparison, not a universal quality ranking. Missing and privacy-suppressed programs are excluded.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

A quick read on Political Science and Government in California

What do Political Science and Government bachelor's degree graduates earn in California?

Across 47 reporting programs, the median observed earnings figure is $63,107 four years after completion.

How much federal debt is reported for these programs?

The median is $17,045 among the 42 programs reporting federal debt.

Which California colleges report the highest earnings for this degree?

The table compares the same federal field, credential and earnings year. Santa Clara University has the highest reported figure among the programs shown.