Political Science and Government at Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI · Bachelor's Degree · about 39 graduates a year

$38,744
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$54,840
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,293
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#439 of 565
Rank by pay
#360 of 565
Rank, wage-adjusted
$24,250
Median federal debt

Western Michigan University graduates in political science and government earn 13% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 44% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Western Michigan 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
…
436Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ$54,888$48,174#537—
437Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Madison, NJ$54,888$48,174#538—
438Wichita State University Wichita, KS$54,874$56,968#387$30,121
439Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI$54,840$57,822#360$38,744
440Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL$54,824$58,353#352$35,578
441Ashford University San Diego, CA$54,740$49,810#521$55,196
442Rhode Island College Providence, RI$54,540$53,716#458$29,178

Other Majors at Western Michigan University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Paper Science and Engineering$102,825$86,401—
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$95,469$76,145#175 of 258
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$94,177$69,514#40 of 59
Industrial Engineering$92,306$74,670#69 of 94
Chemical Engineering$91,777$68,632#118 of 158
Computer Science$90,876$60,979#238 of 349
Air Transportation$89,564$34,872#19 of 52
Engineering-Related Fields$88,746$67,992#20 of 33
Mechanical Engineering$87,477$68,260#254 of 318
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians$84,622$60,153#1 of 9
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$83,449$75,149#590 of 966
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians$82,740$63,665#22 of 51
Civil Engineering$78,368$69,706#210 of 233
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians$76,241$47,286#5 of 7
Business Administration, Management and Operations$75,143$55,660#234 of 1176
Computer and Information Sciences$74,566$55,770#356 of 459
Finance and Financial Management Services$72,353$50,787#299 of 452
Human Resources Management and Services$71,870$48,115#69 of 187
Marketing$71,371$53,081#169 of 516
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions$68,351—#23 of 85
Accounting and Related Services$66,666$47,464#557 of 796
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology$64,679$28,007#10 of 59
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$64,127$37,718#75 of 178
Biology$59,249$35,955#361 of 841
Design and Applied Arts$58,634$39,077#93 of 299
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$58,164—#86 of 138
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$58,023—#118 of 215
Criminal Justice and Corrections$57,012$39,614#246 of 660
Apparel and Textiles$56,487—#32 of 57
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$56,449—#31 of 70

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Western Michigan University political science and government graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $38,744 one year after graduating and $54,840 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Western Michigan University rank for political science and government?

Among 565 colleges reporting earnings for political science and government graduates, Western Michigan University ranks #439 by median pay four years after graduation, and #360 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is political science and government at Western Michigan University worth it?

Its graduates earn 13% less than the national median for political science and government ($63,293), and the median federal debt at graduation is $24,250.

← All data for Western Michigan 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.