U.S. median for this major: $61,935.
College Scorecard field of study; 32 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 34% 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 $87,404. College Scorecard.
Oberlin 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 Oberlin 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 | $18,774 | $79,602 | 2.3 years |
| $30–48k | $15,799 | $66,988 | 1.9 years |
| $48–75k | $22,123 | $93,802 | 2.7 years |
| $75–110k | $29,207 | $123,838 | 3.5 years |
| $110k+ | $48,731 | $206,619 | 5.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (63% 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 ($70,689) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $35,251 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 Oberlin College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Oberlin College
- Acceptance rate: 34% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 81% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $58,343
- Full cost breakdown · all 36 majors · overview
Related majors at Oberlin College
- Economics$87,120
- Sociology—
- Anthropology—
Oberlin College Political Science questions
How much do Oberlin College Political Science graduates earn?
Political Science graduates of Oberlin College earn a median $70,689 four years after graduating and $30,187 one year after. The U.S. median for Political Science graduates across 561 colleges is $61,935.
How much debt do Oberlin College Political Science graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Political Science graduates of Oberlin College is $24,314, about 34% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,457.
Is Oberlin College a good school for Political Science in Ohio?
On pay, Political Science graduates of Oberlin College earn $70,689 four years out, $11,804 above the median for the same major across 26 Ohio colleges ($58,885) and $8,754 above the U.S. median ($61,935). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Oberlin College rank for Political Science in Ohio?
Of 26 Ohio colleges reporting Political Science graduate earnings, Oberlin College ranks 3rd. 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.
Is Oberlin College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Oberlin College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “Oberlin College Political Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/oberlin-college/majors/political-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).