U.S. median for this major: $61,935.
College Scorecard field of study; 46 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 16% 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 $83,133. College Scorecard.
Lafayette College 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 Lafayette College'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 | $12,716 | $52,263 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $7,445 | $30,599 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $10,881 | $44,721 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $12,581 | $51,708 | 1.0 years |
| $110k+ | $52,608 | $216,219 | 4.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (80% 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 ($87,904) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $52,107 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 Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Political Science graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bucknell University | $94,028 | $26,000 | $40,766 | 86% |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania | $93,033 | $14,722 | $28,699 | 97% |
| 3 | Lehigh University | $90,302 | $21,150 | $36,931 | 88% |
| 4 | Lafayette College | $87,904 | $13,640 | $34,433 | 88% |
| 5 | Villanova University | $83,179 | $25,620 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 6 | Gettysburg College | $76,597 | $27,000 | $31,490 | 83% |
| 7 | Mercyhurst University | $76,154 | $25,000 | $19,444 | 60% |
| 8 | Franklin and Marshall College | $74,822 | $19,000 | $36,425 | 84% |
| 9 | University of Scranton | $72,038 | $26,000 | $32,568 | 80% |
| 10 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | $69,816 | $20,000 | $29,689 | 79% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $68,918 | $26,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre | $68,918 | $26,000 | $16,448 | 23% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | $68,918 | $26,000 | $22,213 | 17% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | $68,918 | $26,000 | $24,356 | 32% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $68,918 | $26,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania State University | $68,918 | $26,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York | $68,918 | $26,000 | $19,047 | 16% |
| 18 | Drexel University | $66,756 | — | $38,509 | 78% |
| 19 | Muhlenberg College | $66,540 | $26,950 | $28,905 | 82% |
| 20 | Duquesne University | $66,444 | $24,250 | $37,730 | 77% |
| 21 | University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | $66,231 | $25,900 | $17,945 | 40% |
| 22 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $66,231 | $25,900 | $18,202 | 56% |
| 23 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $66,231 | $25,900 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 24 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $63,458 | $27,000 | $16,804 | 56% |
| 25 | Washington & Jefferson College | $63,258 | $27,000 | $25,002 | 70% |
| 26 | Elizabethtown College | $63,073 | $27,000 | $26,598 | 76% |
| 27 | Haverford College | $62,242 | — | $25,314 | 90% |
| 28 | Allegheny College | $60,241 | $27,000 | $22,940 | 73% |
| 29 | Temple University | $59,848 | $25,815 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 30 | Dickinson College | $59,834 | $19,000 | $37,607 | 80% |
| 31 | Swarthmore College | $58,372 | — | $23,149 | 92% |
| 32 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | $58,347 | $27,000 | $21,331 | 54% |
| 33 | Pennsylvania Western University | $57,724 | — | $18,256 | 52% |
| 34 | La Salle University | $56,792 | $27,000 | $19,409 | 57% |
| 35 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | $56,161 | $29,025 | $15,699 | 54% |
| 36 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | $55,548 | $26,000 | $19,608 | 66% |
| 37 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | $55,295 | $27,000 | $23,726 | 56% |
| 38 | Widener University | $52,765 | $27,000 | $25,759 | 68% |
| 39 | Susquehanna University | $52,221 | $27,000 | $28,819 | 82% |
| 40 | York College of Pennsylvania | $52,133 | $27,000 | $18,556 | 64% |
| 41 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | $52,099 | $27,000 | $20,787 | 58% |
| 42 | Misericordia University | $48,992 | $27,000 | $37,485 | 72% |
| 43 | Lincoln University | $47,374 | $28,500 | $14,977 | 44% |
| 44 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | $42,428 | $25,250 | $18,134 | 43% |
36 more Pennsylvania 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 Lafayette College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Lafayette College
- Acceptance rate: 31% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 88% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $91,410
- Full cost breakdown · all 36 majors · overview
Related majors at Lafayette College
- Economics$112,864
- International Relations—
- Social Sciences, Other—
Lafayette College Political Science questions
How much do Lafayette College Political Science graduates earn?
Political Science graduates of Lafayette College earn a median $87,904 four years after graduating and $48,112 one year after. The U.S. median for Political Science graduates across 561 colleges is $61,935.
How much debt do Lafayette College Political Science graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Political Science graduates of Lafayette College is $13,640, about 16% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,457.
Is Lafayette College a good school for Political Science in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Political Science graduates of Lafayette College earn $87,904 four years out, $21,673 above the median for the same major across 45 Pennsylvania colleges ($66,231) and $25,969 above the U.S. median ($61,935). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Lafayette College rank for Political Science in Pennsylvania?
Of 44 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Political Science graduate earnings, Lafayette College ranks 4th. The highest is Bucknell University at $94,028.
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 $79,990 in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 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: “Lafayette College Political Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lafayette-college/majors/political-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).