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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Political Science and Government bachelor's degree at University of Vermont

Burlington, VT · 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.

$14 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
36.5% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
$698 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
−29% · 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$63,279 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.

+94%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$31,594 → $61,321
59Earn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
21Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
71Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
80Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
$52,968Awarding-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.

335Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
64Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
111Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
221Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
5.2%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 15 non-completers
80Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$63,279$28,471 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 43 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$19,343

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

02 · BORROWING$23,127

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$63,279

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$245/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$19,343Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$35,649Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE65.3%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE78.6%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.

$31,594Year 1
$63,279Year 4
$61,321Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.6% 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$5,273
Estimated loan payment$245
80borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$63,279 vs. $63,293

$14 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$125,440 median wageVT estimate · 1,060 jobs · 11-9199$103,570–$151,750 middle 50% of VT wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$107,490 median wageVT estimate · 80 jobs · 25-1065$88,310–$130,650 middle 50% of VT wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$76,220 median wageVT estimate · 2,450 jobs · 25-2031$60,660–$80,510 middle 50% of VT wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$47,510 median wageVT estimate · 40 jobs · 19-4061$47,510–$63,020 middle 50% of VT wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$134,850 median wageVT estimate · 80 jobs · 25-1063$105,420–$138,940 middle 50% of VT 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
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.

Middlebury, VT

Middlebury College

$14,165 higher earnings · $3,627 less debt

Earnings
$77,444
Debt
$19,500
Annual net price
$31,483
View outcomes →
Northfield, VT

Norwich University

$8,512 higher earnings

Earnings
$71,791
Debt
$25,636
Annual net price
$22,257
View outcomes →
Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University

$39,510 higher earnings · $11,127 less debt · $3,497 lower annual net price

Earnings
$102,789
Debt
$12,000
Annual net price
$15,846
View outcomes →
Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin College

$25,974 higher earnings · $3,493 less debt · $4,945 lower annual net price

Earnings
$89,253
Debt
$19,634
Annual net price
$14,398
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

71 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 →