U.S. median for this major: $61,935.
College Scorecard field of study; 43 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 45% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,457.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,159. College Scorecard.
Cleveland State University Political Science: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Political Science nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Cleveland State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,958 | $52,615 | 3.7 years |
| $30–48k | $13,561 | $59,668 | 4.2 years |
| $48–75k | $14,727 | $64,799 | 4.6 years |
| $75–110k | $15,690 | $69,036 | 4.9 years |
| $110k+ | $20,378 | $89,663 | 6.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (33% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Political Science graduates 4 years after graduating ($49,647) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,209 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Political Science at Ohio colleges
Every Ohio college we cover that reports Political Science graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Case Western Reserve University | $76,451 | — | $41,190 | 87% |
| 2 | Miami University-Oxford | $75,374 | $25,000 | $28,384 | 80% |
| 3 | Oberlin College | $70,689 | $24,314 | $38,645 | 81% |
| 4 | University of Dayton | $68,731 | $25,747 | $29,533 | 80% |
| 5 | Ohio State University | $65,972 | $21,500 | $17,339 | 88% |
| 6 | The College of Wooster | $64,760 | $27,000 | $23,458 | 74% |
| 7 | Xavier University | $63,347 | $26,000 | $32,997 | 69% |
| 8 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | $58,907 | $24,625 | $3,925 | 21% |
| 9 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus | $58,907 | $24,625 | $5,755 | 14% |
| 10 | Ohio University-Southern Campusbachelor's & associate | $58,907 | $24,625 | $5,993 | 21% |
| 11 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campusbachelor's & associate | $58,907 | $24,625 | $5,650 | 14% |
| 12 | Ohio University | $58,907 | $24,625 | $21,637 | 65% |
| 13 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus | $58,907 | $24,625 | $5,746 | 22% |
| 14 | University of Cincinnati | $58,863 | $24,000 | $25,648 | 75% |
| 15 | Bowling Green State University | $58,254 | $25,000 | $24,022 | 64% |
| 16 | Youngstown State University | $57,643 | $25,000 | $12,767 | 50% |
| 17 | John Carroll University | $57,377 | $23,000 | $28,746 | 79% |
| 18 | Ashland University | $57,165 | $26,738 | $21,988 | 61% |
| 19 | Capital University | $56,686 | $26,218 | $22,576 | 60% |
| 20 | Wright State University | $56,423 | $26,000 | $15,415 | 42% |
| 21 | Baldwin Wallace University | $54,410 | $27,000 | $27,603 | 67% |
| 22 | Kent State University at Kent | $52,423 | $25,000 | $20,787 | 64% |
| 23 | Cleveland State University | $49,647 | $22,375 | $14,764 | 51% |
| 24 | University of Akron Main Campus | $48,987 | $25,983 | $13,946 | 52% |
| 25 | University of Toledo | $48,320 | $25,000 | $17,249 | 57% |
| 26 | Wittenberg University | $46,577 | — | $18,649 | 53% |
24 more Ohio colleges offer Political Science but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Political Science graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Social Science Research Assistants
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Cleveland State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Cleveland State University
- Acceptance rate: 91% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $52,131
- Full cost breakdown · all 71 majors · overview
Related majors at Cleveland State University
- Economics$62,852
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology$57,211
- International Relations$45,045
- Anthropology$38,972
- Criminology$52,713
Cleveland State University Political Science questions
How much do Cleveland State University Political Science graduates earn?
Political Science graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median $49,647 four years after graduating and $26,204 one year after. The U.S. median for Political Science graduates across 561 colleges is $61,935.
How much debt do Cleveland State University Political Science graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Political Science graduates of Cleveland State University is $22,375, about 45% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,457.
Is Cleveland State University a good school for Political Science in Ohio?
On pay, Political Science graduates of Cleveland State University earn $49,647 four years out, $9,238 below the median for the same major across 26 Ohio colleges ($58,885) and $12,288 below the U.S. median ($61,935). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Cleveland State University rank for Political Science in Ohio?
Of 26 Ohio colleges reporting Political Science graduate earnings, Cleveland State University ranks 23rd; among the 24 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 21st. The highest is Case Western Reserve University at $76,451.
What jobs do Political Science graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $79,610 in the Cleveland, OH area and $72,040 nationally. Others include social science research assistants.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Cleveland State University Political Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cleveland-state-university/majors/political-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).