How much do Political Science and Government bachelor's degree graduates from Metropolitan State University of Denver earn?

The reported median is $60,639 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

The reported median federal debt among borrowers is $23,500.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 4% below the national median for the same field and degree level.

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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Political Science and Government bachelor's degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$2,654 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: 38.8% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff: Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff: −35% · Negative payoff
Available price data: College-wide context only

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →

$0Annual price−$23,610

$8,000Annual price−$55,610

$15,000Current college-wide context−$83,610

$16,000Current college-wide context−$87,610

$24,000Annual price−$119,610

$32,000Annual price−$151,610

$40,000Annual price−$183,610

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+43%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$39,920 → $56,951

Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

25Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

38Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

53Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential

Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential

NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

204Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

23Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

117Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

96Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

18.7%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 39 non-completers

38Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion

Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$39,174Informational preview, not a final accountability result

Observed year-4 earnings$60,639$21,465 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$15,327

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$23,500

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$60,639

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$249/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

Enter my price →

AVERAGE NET PRICE$15,327Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$24,622Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE98.8%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE31.5%Institution-wide completion rate

WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$39,920Year 1

$60,639Year 4

$56,951Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.9% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$5,053

Estimated loan payment$249

53borrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$60,639 vs. $63,293

$2,654 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median

WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.

Managers, All Other$171,140 median wageCO estimate · 14,060 jobs · 11-9199$135,790–$215,440 middle 50% of CO wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Scientists$127,260 median wageCO estimate · 30 jobs · 19-3094$82,540–$175,530 middle 50% of CO wages-2.0% projected U.S. growth · 400 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$98,070 median wageU.S. estimate · 16,970 jobs · 25-1065+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,900 median wageCO estimate · 18,310 jobs · 25-2031$60,860–$83,790 middle 50% of CO wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$50,430 median wageCO estimate · 100 jobs · 19-4061$50,180–$51,160 middle 50% of CO wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEconomists$121,410 median wageCO estimate · 240 jobs · 19-3011$82,430–$157,350 middle 50% of CO wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$98,870 median wageCO estimate · 270 jobs · 25-1063$73,490–$138,460 middle 50% of CO wages+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degree

CENSUS EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS

Where graduates work five years later

The leading industries employing graduates in this college, broad field and credential group.

Educational Services

about 19.4%

Public Administration

about 12.7%

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 12.2%

Health Care and Social Assistance

about 10.9%

Finance and Insurance

about 9.6%

Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Boulder, CO

University of Colorado Boulder

$9,012 higher earnings · $4,000 less debt

Earnings: $69,651
Debt: $19,500
Annual net price: $25,346

View outcomes →

Fort Collins, CO

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

$7,234 higher earnings · $4,000 less debt

Earnings: $67,873
Debt: $19,500
Annual net price: $21,279

View outcomes →

Denver, CO

University of Denver

$5,649 higher earnings · $1,500 less debt

Earnings: $66,288
Debt: $22,000
Annual net price: $36,131

View outcomes →

Greeley, CO

University of Northern Colorado

$5,144 higher earnings · $3,250 less debt

Earnings: $65,783
Debt: $20,250
Annual net price: $17,760

View outcomes →

Compare these programs →

DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

38 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →