Political Science and Government at Washington State University

Pullman, WA · Bachelor's Degree · about 73 graduates a year

$41,130
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$67,264
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,293
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#159 of 565
Rank by pay
#258 of 565
Rank, wage-adjusted
$21,150
Median federal debt

Washington State University graduates in political science and government earn 6% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 31% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Washington State 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
…
156University of California-Davis Davis, CA$67,759$61,656#261$36,208
157University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA$67,713$61,614#262$33,345
158Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO$67,287$72,146#83$30,502
159Washington State University Pullman, WA$67,264$61,868#258$41,130
160Drake University Des Moines, IA$67,257$70,746#99—
161Michigan State University East Lansing, MI$67,032$70,677#101$39,514
162Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA$67,007$77,566#50$30,771

Other Majors at Washington State University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Science$119,686$79,519#81 of 349
Computer Engineering$114,635$87,135#57 of 189
Construction Management$107,531—#5 of 57
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$104,354$79,874#68 of 258
Chemical Engineering$99,506$69,820#56 of 158
Mechanical Engineering$93,971$72,690#105 of 318
Civil Engineering$91,879$74,841#40 of 233
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$91,495$83,894#298 of 966
Materials Engineering$86,145$49,560#25 of 34
Finance and Financial Management Services$86,012$56,947#133 of 452
Management Information Systems and Services$85,967$59,490#71 of 166
Business Administration, Management and Operations$81,321$52,636#125 of 1176
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician—$80,404—
International Business$77,598$48,292#42 of 115
Marketing$76,595$47,051#106 of 516
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$76,384$43,736#7 of 49
Accounting and Related Services$75,980$57,618#333 of 796
Economics$70,215$39,762#270 of 368
Applied Mathematics$70,085$27,626#38 of 45
Agricultural Production Operations$69,708$56,743#3 of 14
Design and Applied Arts$69,224$44,823#20 of 299
Food Science and Technology$68,719$47,970#18 of 29
Biological and Physical Sciences$68,583$46,288#14 of 33
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$67,647$45,820#56 of 178
Hospitality Administration/Management$66,874$41,251#17 of 137
Public Policy Analysis$63,631$30,303#29 of 34
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$63,052$27,463#51 of 215
Criminal Justice and Corrections$62,747$41,020#86 of 660
Communication and Media Studies$62,406$38,747#122 of 660
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$62,126$55,864#33 of 345

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Washington State University political science and government graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $41,130 one year after graduating and $67,264 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Washington State University rank for political science and government?

Among 565 colleges reporting earnings for political science and government graduates, Washington State University ranks #159 by median pay four years after graduation, and #258 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is political science and government at Washington State University worth it?

Its graduates earn 6% more than the national median for political science and government ($63,293), and the median federal debt at graduation is $21,150.

← All data for Washington State 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.