How much do Political Science and Government bachelor's degree graduates from University of Maryland-College Park earn?

The reported median is $74,437 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

The reported median federal debt among borrowers is $18,768.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 18% above 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 University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD · 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 notably above similar programs.

$11,144 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: 25.2% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff: $28,593 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff: +21% · Positive 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+$114,370

$8,000Annual price+$82,370

$16,000Current college-wide context+$50,370

$24,000Annual price+$18,370

$32,000Annual price−$13,630

$40,000Annual price−$45,630

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

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

+87%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$42,688 → $79,622

154Earn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

71Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

174Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

237Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

$30,242Awarding-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.

460Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

126Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

182Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

225Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

4.4%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 23 non-completers

167Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion

Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$36,491Informational preview, not a final accountability result

Observed year-4 earnings$74,437$37,946 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 61 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$15,678

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

02 · BORROWING$18,768

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$74,437

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$199/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$15,678Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$29,299Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE44.8%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE88.6%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.

$42,688Year 1

$74,437Year 4

$79,622Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

3.2% 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$6,203

Estimated loan payment$199

237borrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$74,437 vs. $63,293

$11,144 above 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$159,040 median wageMD estimate · 17,530 jobs · 11-9199$124,590–$185,220 middle 50% of MD wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Scientists$153,380 median wageMD estimate · 100 jobs · 19-3094$115,650–$183,080 middle 50% of MD wages-2.0% projected U.S. growth · 400 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$105,630 median wageMD estimate · 370 jobs · 25-1065$81,170–$166,160 middle 50% of MD wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$78,670 median wageMD estimate · 16,640 jobs · 25-2031$62,300–$98,690 middle 50% of MD wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$65,550 median wageMD estimate · 700 jobs · 19-4061$54,820–$84,490 middle 50% of MD wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEconomists$144,680 median wageMD estimate · 1,130 jobs · 19-3011$118,460–$178,780 middle 50% of MD wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$133,540 median wageMD estimate · 200 jobs · 25-1063$96,190–$216,470 middle 50% of MD 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.

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 30.8%

Public Administration

about 13.1%

Finance and Insurance

about 10.6%

Educational Services

about 7.0%

Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

about 5.2%

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.

Adelphi, MD

University of Maryland Global Campus

$7,826 higher earnings · $1,168 less debt

Earnings: $82,263
Debt: $17,600
Annual net price: $22,063

View outcomes →

Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University

$47,292 higher earnings

Earnings: $121,729
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $18,809

View outcomes →

Baltimore, MD

Loyola University Maryland

$7,138 higher earnings

Earnings: $81,575
Debt: $27,000
Annual net price: $30,574

View outcomes →

Baltimore, MD

Morgan State University

$693 lower annual net price

Earnings: $50,791
Debt: $29,750
Annual net price: $14,985

View outcomes →

Compare these programs →

DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

174 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 →