Political Science and Government at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona

Altoona, PA · Bachelor's Degree · about 3 graduates a year

$41,201
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$68,918
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,293
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#134 of 565
Rank by pay
#107 of 565
Rank, wage-adjusted
$25,000
Median federal debt

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona graduates in political science and government earn 9% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 36% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona 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
…
131Trinity University San Antonio, TX$68,934$70,086#113$27,601
132Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Erie, PA$68,918$70,090#105$41,201
133Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre Dallas, PA$68,918$70,090#106$41,201
134Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona Altoona, PA$68,918$70,090#107$41,201
135Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks Reading, PA$68,918$70,090#108$41,201
136Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Middletown, PA$68,918$70,090#109$41,201
137Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA$68,918$70,090#110$41,201

Other Majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer and Information Sciences$120,729$84,050#39 of 459
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management$98,637$73,941#17 of 99
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$91,032$77,955#325 of 966
Accounting and Related Services$88,192$63,425#134 of 796
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians$81,835$65,043#16 of 23
Civil Engineering$81,403$67,966#169 of 233
Mathematics$77,336$59,629#101 of 309
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$67,399$30,133#44 of 610
Business/Commerce$65,292$45,110#125 of 271
Biology$64,910$33,417#185 of 841
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$60,193$37,330#63 of 265
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$58,195$37,834#126 of 476
Design and Applied Arts$58,105$43,324#96 of 299
Criminal Justice and Corrections$56,877$37,240#252 of 660
Communication and Media Studies$55,505$34,181#285 of 660
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$53,362$45,795#136 of 680
History$52,871$28,803#185 of 459
English Language and Literature$50,299$29,848#240 of 576
Psychology$49,543$32,408#541 of 1027
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$45,943$34,030#103 of 172
Visual and Performing Arts$45,170$25,702#22 of 68

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona political science and government graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $41,201 one year after graduating and $68,918 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona rank for political science and government?

Among 565 colleges reporting earnings for political science and government graduates, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona ranks #134 by median pay four years after graduation, and #107 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is political science and government at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona worth it?

Its graduates earn 9% more than the national median for political science and government ($63,293), and the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

← All data for Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona · 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.