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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Political Science and Government bachelor's degree at Fairmont State University

Fairmont, WV · 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.

$8,933 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
47.6% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff
−57% · 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$54,360 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 → 5$34,992 → Not available
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
Not availableYear-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
36Borrowers 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.

56Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
15Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
36Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
23Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$32,604Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$54,360$21,756 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$9,032

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

02 · BORROWING$25,878

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$54,360

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$274/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$9,032Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$20,018Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE98.6%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE44.3%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.

$34,992Year 1
$54,360Year 4
Not availableYear 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

6.0% 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$4,530
Estimated loan payment$274
36borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$54,360 vs. $63,293

$8,933 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$124,940 median wageWV estimate · 3,640 jobs · 11-9199$81,680–$163,030 middle 50% of WV wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$77,420 median wageWV estimate · 70 jobs · 25-1065$60,070–$97,290 middle 50% of WV wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$56,610 median wageWV estimate · 3,590 jobs · 25-2031$52,200–$60,870 middle 50% of WV wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$51,140 median wageWV estimate · 550 jobs · 19-4061$34,480–$72,410 middle 50% of WV wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's 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 degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$91,170 median wageWV estimate · 40 jobs · 25-1063$71,190–$129,960 middle 50% of WV 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

Health Care and Social Assistance

about 35.2%
02

Retail Trade

about 11.6%
03

Public Administration

about 8.5%
04

Educational Services

about 7.2%
05

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 7.2%

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.

Charles Town, WV

American Public University System

$26,696 higher earnings · $7,574 less debt

Earnings
$81,056
Debt
$18,304
Annual net price
$9,597
View outcomes →
Beckley, WV

West Virginia University Institute of Technology

$2,609 higher earnings · $2,628 less debt

Earnings
$56,969
Debt
$23,250
Annual net price
$9,337
View outcomes →
Morgantown, WV

West Virginia University

$2,609 higher earnings · $2,628 less debt

Earnings
$56,969
Debt
$23,250
Annual net price
$15,634
View outcomes →
Huntington, WV

Marshall University

$1,645 less debt · $1,530 lower annual net price

Earnings
$50,832
Debt
$24,233
Annual net price
$7,502
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

Not reported 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 →