Political Science and Government at American University

Washington, DC · Bachelor's Degree · about 216 graduates a year

$48,034
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$73,604
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,293
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#84 of 565
Rank by pay
#202 of 565
Rank, wage-adjusted
$23,250
Median federal debt

American University graduates in political science and government earn 16% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 32% of one year’s pay at that point.

How American University Compares for Political Science and Government

All 565 colleges reporting political science and government earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD$121,729$106,831#2—
2Dartmouth College Hanover, NH$106,153$97,778#5$72,618
3Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN$102,789$112,286#1$46,843
4Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY$100,245$95,412#11$61,077
5Colby College Waterville, ME$96,621$102,683#3$54,353
6Harvard University Cambridge, MA$95,838$84,395#27$61,543
7Cornell University Ithaca, NY$95,391$90,792#17$60,292
8Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA$95,190$86,679#20—
9University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN$94,297$101,163#4$55,316
10Trinity College Hartford, CT$94,097$84,717#25$42,979
…
81The Catholic University of America Washington, DC$73,917$64,770#194$44,617
82Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT$73,833$66,473#166$26,440
83Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA$73,826$67,177#152$42,552
84American University Washington, DC$73,604$64,496#202$48,034
85Northeastern University Boston, MA$73,539$64,759#195$52,516
86Northeastern University Professional Programs Boston, MA$73,539$64,759#196$52,516
87Suffolk University Boston, MA$73,484$64,710#198$44,845

Other Political Science and Government Credentials at American University

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$51,222$81,004$23,250
Master's Degree$60,976$98,567—

Other Majors at American University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Finance and Financial Management Services$134,332$83,505#8 of 452
Accounting and Related Services$119,020—#8 of 796
Computer Science$117,293—#87 of 349
Business Administration, Management and Operations$88,359$58,299#63 of 1176
Economics$85,016$58,151#137 of 368
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$78,410$50,026#16 of 178
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies$76,552$49,486#13 of 207
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians$75,461$19,337#1 of 19
International Relations and National Security Studies$73,865$47,551#31 of 118
Non-Professional Legal Studies$72,792$45,790#5 of 39
Public Health$70,831$42,194#25 of 215
Communication and Media Studies$67,863$36,980#73 of 660
Criminal Justice and Corrections$66,970$37,147#50 of 660
Journalism$66,635$44,387#19 of 187
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$66,160$55,625#10 of 680
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$63,711$46,780#41 of 265
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$63,553$46,206#8 of 103
Psychology$62,240$25,773#68 of 1027
History$59,630$43,809#62 of 459
Literature$54,436$23,164#2 of 8
Anthropology$53,036—#48 of 188
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$52,661$26,767#20 of 144
Area Studies—$43,671—
Sociology—$40,119—
Fine and Studio Arts—$35,115—
Biology—$33,917—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft—$23,979—

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do American University political science and government graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $48,034 one year after graduating and $73,604 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does American University rank for political science and government?

Among 565 colleges reporting earnings for political science and government graduates, American University ranks #84 by median pay four years after graduation, and #202 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is political science and government at American University worth it?

Its graduates earn 16% more than the national median for political science and government ($63,293), and the median federal debt at graduation is $23,250.

← All data for American University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.