How much do Political Science and Government bachelor's degree graduates from University of Wisconsin-Madison earn?

The reported median is $66,148 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

The reported median federal debt among borrowers is $22,000.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 5% 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 Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · 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.

$2,855 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: 33.3% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff: $7,870 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff: −15% · 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.

← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →

$0Annual price+$31,480

$8,000Annual price−$520

$16,000Annual price−$32,520

$17,000Current college-wide context−$36,520

$24,000Annual price−$64,520

$32,000Annual price−$96,520

$40,000Annual price−$128,520

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

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

+63%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$42,063 → $68,593

191Earn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

104Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

218Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

253Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

$31,450Awarding-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.

735Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

200Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

281Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

303Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

2.3%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 15 non-completers

206Graduates 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$66,148$29,657 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 56 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$17,354

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

02 · BORROWING$22,000

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$66,148

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$233/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$17,354Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$28,679Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE45.2%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE89.5%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.

$42,063Year 1

$66,148Year 4

$68,593Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.2% 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$5,512

Estimated loan payment$233

253borrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$66,148 vs. $63,293

$2,855 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.

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$107,050 median wageWI estimate · 14,240 jobs · 11-9199$78,570–$152,980 middle 50% of WI wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$83,190 median wageWI estimate · 290 jobs · 25-1065$68,520–$124,230 middle 50% of WI wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$62,870 median wageWI estimate · 15,910 jobs · 25-2031$58,910–$77,420 middle 50% of WI wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$48,090 median wageWI estimate · 110 jobs · 19-4061$44,620–$57,650 middle 50% of WI wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEconomics Teachers, Postsecondary$99,970 median wageWI estimate · 310 jobs · 25-1063$84,300–$160,730 middle 50% of WI wages+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeEconomists$84,000 median wageWI estimate · 280 jobs · 19-3011$72,920–$110,970 middle 50% of WI wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's 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 22.6%

Finance and Insurance

about 12.9%

Educational Services

about 10.7%

Public Administration

about 8.4%

Health Care and Social Assistance

about 7.2%

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.

La Crosse, WI

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

$500 less debt · $1,144 lower annual net price

Earnings: $57,256
Debt: $21,500
Annual net price: $16,210

View outcomes →

Stevens Point, WI

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

$687 less debt · $2,795 lower annual net price

Earnings: $50,872
Debt: $21,313
Annual net price: $14,559

View outcomes →

Milwaukee, WI

Marquette University

$7,860 higher earnings

Earnings: $74,008
Debt: $22,500
Annual net price: $31,487

View outcomes →

Ripon, WI

Ripon College

$2,652 higher earnings

Earnings: $68,800
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $20,216

View outcomes →

Compare these programs →

DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

218 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 →