Political Science and Government at Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN · Bachelor's Degree · about 9 graduates a year

$32,893
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$56,054
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,293
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#417 of 565
Rank by pay
#301 of 565
Rank, wage-adjusted
$27,000
Median federal debt

Valparaiso University graduates in political science and government earn 11% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 48% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Valparaiso 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
…
414State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY$56,281$53,568#460$28,678
415Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA$56,161$57,116#385$40,245
416California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA$56,063$51,014#507$29,818
417Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN$56,054$60,136#301$32,893
418Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX$55,894$56,828#390—
419Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO$55,869$59,903#305—
420University of Louisville Louisville, KY$55,856$63,246#224$31,777

Other Majors at Valparaiso University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences$115,095—#2 of 156
Computer Engineering$96,079$75,484#144 of 189
Computer Science$94,111$59,863#211 of 349
Mechanical Engineering$90,583$68,265#173 of 318
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$87,944$73,662#246 of 258
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$86,317$67,129#58 of 126
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$81,278$73,747#677 of 966
Civil Engineering$80,173$69,549#192 of 233
Business Administration, Management and Operations$78,163$44,100#177 of 1176
Finance and Financial Management Services$73,880$55,399#278 of 452
Accounting and Related Services$71,848$57,766#435 of 796
Marketing$66,773$44,742#254 of 516
Criminology$63,772$30,653#14 of 113
Chemistry$62,245$37,526#143 of 209
Mathematics$61,564—#243 of 309
Biology$61,072$30,672#303 of 841
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$60,612$35,931#82 of 476
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology$60,092—#9 of 16
Psychology$58,104$31,057#137 of 1027
Social Work$57,609—#83 of 420
Health and Medical Administrative Services$55,485—#172 of 275
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$54,933$46,750#87 of 345
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$53,495$45,123#134 of 680
English Language and Literature$52,439$23,909#186 of 576
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$50,588$31,752#175 of 225
Communication and Media Studies$50,325$35,164#439 of 660
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$47,644$44,937#482 of 610

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Graduates earn a median $32,893 one year after graduating and $56,054 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Valparaiso University rank for political science and government?

Among 565 colleges reporting earnings for political science and government graduates, Valparaiso University ranks #417 by median pay four years after graduation, and #301 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is political science and government at Valparaiso University worth it?

Its graduates earn 11% less than the national median for political science and government ($63,293), and the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.

← All data for Valparaiso 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.