Political Science and Government at James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA · Bachelor's Degree · about 110 graduates a year

$42,128
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$73,326
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,293
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#88 of 565
Rank by pay
#161 of 565
Rank, wage-adjusted
$19,286
Median federal debt

James Madison 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 26% of one year’s pay at that point.

How James Madison 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
…
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
88James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA$73,326$66,770#161$42,128
89Northwestern University Evanston, IL$73,231$71,949#85$54,737
90Binghamton University Vestal, NY$73,044$69,523#120$37,194
91Wellesley College Wellesley, MA$72,830$64,134#209$50,214

Other Political Science and Government Credentials at James Madison University

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Master's Degree$68,741$86,137—

Other Majors at James Madison University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Information Science/Studies$113,345$80,173#5 of 148
Finance and Financial Management Services$104,926$67,849#33 of 452
Computer and Information Sciences$104,806$81,761#94 of 459
Accounting and Related Services$98,767$71,563#58 of 796
Engineering$91,761$71,176#19 of 57
International Business$91,141—#16 of 115
Systems Science and Theory$91,034$65,683#2 of 6
Marketing$89,944$61,692#23 of 516
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$87,056$76,490#473 of 966
Economics$86,681$62,286#130 of 368
Business Administration, Management and Operations$85,137$65,931#79 of 1176
Science, Technology and Society$82,455$54,235#5 of 10
Health and Medical Administrative Services$77,393$53,913#30 of 275
Mathematics$75,295$58,810#115 of 309
Chemistry$74,631$45,799#42 of 209
Public Administration$71,626$48,396#10 of 47
International Relations and National Security Studies$68,798$44,667#46 of 118
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$67,033$33,971#2 of 50
Communication and Media Studies$66,436$42,769#81 of 660
Biotechnology$65,893$41,832#12 of 13
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$65,770—#34 of 215
Hospitality Administration/Management$65,016$46,915#22 of 137
Geography and Cartography$63,768$45,094#35 of 117
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$63,065$35,955#82 of 610
Biology$62,914$34,159#250 of 841
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$62,366$45,122#12 of 90
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies$61,496$40,966—
Anthropology$60,841$30,686#11 of 188
Philosophy and Religious Studies$59,604$28,712—
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$59,501$24,860#14 of 50

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do James Madison University political science and government graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $42,128 one year after graduating and $73,326 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does James Madison University rank for political science and government?

Among 565 colleges reporting earnings for political science and government graduates, James Madison University ranks #88 by median pay four years after graduation, and #161 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is political science and government at James Madison 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 $19,286.

← All data for James Madison 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.