COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES
Political Science and Government bachelor's degree at Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL · 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 below similar programs.
$9,254 below the national median for the same field and degree level.
- Debt as a share of earnings
- 50.0% of annual earnings
- Highest price with a positive payoff
- Not reached
- Modeled 10-year payoff
- −61% · 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−$89,610
$8,000Annual price−$121,610
$13,000Current college-wide context−$141,610
$16,000Annual price−$153,610
$24,000Annual price−$185,610
$32,000Annual price−$217,610
$40,000Annual price−$249,610
OUTCOME SIGNALS
Graduate outcomes from several angles.
Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.
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.
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$54,039$19,231 above the preliminary benchmark
Additional borrowing reported for this category: 15 Parent PLUS borrowers.
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$13,391
Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.
02 · BORROWING$27,000
Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.
03 · EARNINGS$54,039
Observed median earnings four full years after completion.
04 · REPAYMENT$286/mo
Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.
ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE PROGRAM REPORTS
1 related offering reported to the Department of Labor
These provider-reported records add named prices, completion and employment context where available. They describe a separate workforce-program cohort and may include non-degree training, so they are not blended into the College Scorecard earnings or DegreeVerdict ROI.
Political Science B.A. or B.S.
- Reported price
- $11
- Completion
- Not reported
- Employed in Q2
- Not reported
- Q2 quarterly earnings
- Not available
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$13,391Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$28,851Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE69.8%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE48.7%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.
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?
6.4% 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$4,503
Estimated loan payment$286
110borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
$54,039 vs. $63,293
$9,254 below the national median for the same field and credential.
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$140,240 median wageIL estimate · 31,680 jobs · 11-9199$107,690–$180,860 middle 50% of IL wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Scientists$103,780 median wageIL estimate · 110 jobs · 19-3094$85,570–$117,590 middle 50% of IL wages-2.0% projected U.S. growth · 400 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$100,700 median wageIL estimate · 460 jobs · 25-1065$76,770–$123,980 middle 50% of IL wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$79,990 median wageIL estimate · 44,670 jobs · 25-2031$62,330–$104,670 middle 50% of IL wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$64,890 median wageIL estimate · 250 jobs · 19-4061$47,720–$74,700 middle 50% of IL wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$124,850 median wageIL estimate · 460 jobs · 25-1063$86,890–$166,630 middle 50% of IL wages+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeEconomists$124,720 median wageU.S. estimate · 17,790 jobs · 19-3011+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degree
CENSUS EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS
Where graduates work five years later
The leading industries employing graduates in this college, broad field and credential group.
Public Administration
Health Care and Social Assistance
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Educational Services
Finance and Insurance
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.
Eastern Illinois University
$7,480 higher earnings · $2,261 less debt · $605 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $61,519
- Debt
- $24,739
- Annual net price
- $12,786
University of Illinois Chicago
$5,981 higher earnings · $5,239 less debt · $2,417 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $60,020
- Debt
- $21,761
- Annual net price
- $10,974
University of Illinois Springfield
$4,197 higher earnings · $1,152 less debt · $3,558 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $58,236
- Debt
- $25,848
- Annual net price
- $9,833
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
$1,505 higher earnings · $829 less debt · $94 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $55,544
- Debt
- $26,171
- Annual net price
- $13,297
DATA QUALITY
Check the evidence behind the estimate.
111 observations in the earnings cohort
June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release
Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page
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 →