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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Political Science and Government bachelor's degree at Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN · 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.

$13,395 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff
Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff
−79% · 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$49,898 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.

+32%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$34,105 → $45,167
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
22Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
27Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
18Borrowers 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.

89Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
46Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
45Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
25Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$32,989Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$49,898$16,909 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$14,246

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

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$49,898

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

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$14,246Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$25,663Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE76.1%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE57.7%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.

$34,105Year 1
$49,898Year 4
$45,167Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

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

Gross monthly earnings$4,158
Estimated loan paymentNot available
18borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$49,898 vs. $63,293

$13,395 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$99,430 median wageTN estimate · 17,510 jobs · 11-9199$66,580–$135,510 middle 50% of TN wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$81,330 median wageTN estimate · 250 jobs · 25-1065$63,420–$119,070 middle 50% of TN wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$61,860 median wageTN estimate · 21,230 jobs · 25-2031$52,870–$73,740 middle 50% of TN wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$46,410 median wageTN estimate · 140 jobs · 19-4061$40,120–$55,900 middle 50% of TN wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEconomists$117,650 median wageTN estimate · 80 jobs · 19-3011$96,170–$145,220 middle 50% of TN wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$104,560 median wageTN estimate · 250 jobs · 25-1063$77,220–$144,530 middle 50% of TN 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

Public Administration

about 33.5%
02

Health Care and Social Assistance

about 21.1%
03

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 9.8%
04

Educational Services

about 8.1%
05

Retail Trade

about 6.7%

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.

Martin, TN

The University of Tennessee-Martin

$2,131 higher earnings · $3,545 lower annual net price

Earnings
$52,029
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$10,701
View outcomes →
Murfreesboro, TN

Middle Tennessee State University

$271 higher earnings · $887 lower annual net price

Earnings
$50,169
Debt
$23,250
Annual net price
$13,359
View outcomes →
Memphis, TN

University of Memphis

$172 higher earnings · $1,849 lower annual net price

Earnings
$50,070
Debt
$24,450
Annual net price
$12,397
View outcomes →
Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University

$52,891 higher earnings

Earnings
$102,789
Debt
$12,000
Annual net price
$15,846
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

27 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 →