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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Political Science and Government bachelor's degree at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO · 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.

$11,876 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
25.5% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff
−72% · 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.

What stays fixed$51,417 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

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

Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5Not available → $67,664
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
23Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
26Borrowers 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.

157Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
24Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
78Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
66Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
12.2%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 15 non-completers
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$32,989Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$51,417$18,428 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$13,310

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

02 · BORROWING$13,102

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$51,417

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$139/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.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$13,310Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$25,320Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE72.2%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE55.5%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.

Not availableYear 1
$51,417Year 4
$67,664Year 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$4,285
Estimated loan payment$139
26borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$51,417 vs. $63,293

$11,876 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.
Political Scientists$142,080 median wageU.S. estimate · 5,540 jobs · 19-3094-2.0% projected U.S. growth · 400 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeManagers, All Other$125,760 median wageMO estimate · 11,420 jobs · 11-9199$85,930–$161,300 middle 50% of MO wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$94,500 median wageMO estimate · 280 jobs · 25-1065$63,790–$132,040 middle 50% of MO wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$59,240 median wageMO estimate · 24,380 jobs · 25-2031$47,680–$71,000 middle 50% of MO wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$65,940 median wageMO estimate · 750 jobs · 19-4061$49,750–$66,090 middle 50% of MO wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEconomists$117,010 median wageMO estimate · 280 jobs · 19-3011$90,060–$172,880 middle 50% of MO wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$116,530 median wageMO estimate · 150 jobs · 25-1063$87,230–$184,080 middle 50% of MO 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.

01

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 18.2%
02

Finance and Insurance

about 13.8%
03

Public Administration

about 12.8%
04

Health Care and Social Assistance

about 11.9%
05

Educational Services

about 10.7%

How to read this: This is an observed industry mix, not a list of job titles or proof that every graduate worked in the field studied. Counts and shares are approximate because Census privacy protections add statistical noise.

Coverage is limited to institutions and states participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program. These figures do not affect DegreeVerdict ROI calculations.

Download the official Census source file →
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.

Joplin, MO

Missouri Southern State University

$11,159 higher earnings · $1,303 lower annual net price

Earnings
$62,576
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$12,007
View outcomes →
Kirksville, MO

Truman State University

$9,169 higher earnings · $530 lower annual net price

Earnings
$60,586
Debt
$26,649
Annual net price
$12,780
View outcomes →
St. Louis, MO

Washington University in St Louis

$39,361 higher earnings

Earnings
$90,778
Debt
$18,500
Annual net price
$21,786
View outcomes →
Saint Louis, MO

Saint Louis University

$15,870 higher earnings

Earnings
$67,287
Debt
$25,000
Annual net price
$24,398
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

23 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 →