U.S. median for this major: $61,935.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 26% 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 $27,780. College Scorecard.
Political Science at California colleges
Every California 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 | Santa Clara University | $93,518 | $21,750 | $50,062 | 88% |
| 2 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $81,843 | $17,665 | $16,665 | 86% |
| 3 | Pepperdine University | $75,954 | $23,625 | $58,098 | 83% |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley | $75,128 | $13,000 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 5 | University of Southern California | $75,090 | $12,869 | $32,740 | 92% |
| 6 | University of California-Los Angeles | $74,202 | $15,000 | $12,548 | 93% |
| 7 | Claremont McKenna College | $73,826 | — | $28,849 | 91% |
| 8 | Occidental College | $72,441 | $25,700 | $38,263 | 81% |
| 9 | Loyola Marymount University | $72,375 | $22,146 | $48,381 | 79% |
| 10 | University of San Francisco | $72,263 | $23,000 | $41,431 | 70% |
| 11 | California State University-East Bay | $71,022 | $19,544 | $9,320 | 48% |
| 12 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $70,384 | $16,485 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 13 | Chapman University | $68,856 | $20,741 | $46,555 | 82% |
| 14 | Pitzer College | $68,831 | — | $34,191 | 83% |
| 15 | University of California-Davis | $67,759 | $14,250 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 16 | University of California-San Diego | $67,713 | $16,030 | $12,470 | 86% |
| 17 | University of California-Santa Cruz | $65,890 | $16,782 | $17,890 | 75% |
| 18 | Biola University | $65,558 | $24,344 | $31,495 | 68% |
| 19 | Sonoma State University | $65,009 | $16,956 | $12,885 | 58% |
| 20 | San Diego State University | $64,824 | $17,068 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 21 | California Baptist University | $64,605 | $26,400 | $26,285 | 62% |
| 22 | University of Redlands | $64,353 | $26,000 | $30,031 | 67% |
| 23 | University of California-Irvine | $63,318 | $16,293 | $14,251 | 87% |
| 24 | University of La Verne | $63,107 | $22,000 | $20,161 | 63% |
| 25 | University of California-Merced | $62,815 | $17,500 | $11,983 | 69% |
| 26 | Saint Mary's College of California | $62,651 | $25,967 | $30,378 | 70% |
| 27 | University of San Diego | $62,301 | $26,000 | $30,365 | 84% |
| 28 | California State University-Fresno | $62,298 | $14,528 | $7,000 | 57% |
| 29 | San Francisco State University | $61,915 | $17,000 | $12,278 | 50% |
| 30 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $61,712 | $15,000 | $11,531 | 68% |
| 31 | California State University-Chico | $61,293 | $20,423 | $14,480 | 63% |
| 32 | California State University-Sacramento | $60,278 | $16,084 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 33 | California Lutheran University | $60,243 | $21,125 | $30,109 | 70% |
| 34 | California State University-Long Beach | $59,787 | $14,928 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 35 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | $59,558 | $10,268 | $8,615 | 43% |
| 36 | California State University-Channel Islands | $58,306 | $15,000 | $9,849 | 51% |
| 37 | California State University-Northridge | $57,527 | $14,202 | $7,021 | 57% |
| 38 | University of California-Riverside | $56,740 | $18,300 | $14,304 | 76% |
| 39 | California State University-Stanislaus | $56,330 | $15,484 | $6,067 | 53% |
| 40 | California State University-Los Angeles | $56,063 | $10,614 | $3,967 | 53% |
| 41 | Whittier College | $55,853 | — | $25,757 | 60% |
| 42 | California State University-Fullerton | $53,966 | $15,000 | $6,555 | 70% |
| 43 | California State University-San Bernardino | $53,378 | $17,045 | $4,564 | 55% |
| 44 | California State University-Bakersfield | $51,882 | — | $5,652 | 50% |
| 45 | California State University-San Marcos | $50,857 | $19,485 | $10,229 | 55% |
| 46 | University of the Pacific | $50,827 | — | $25,447 | 69% |
| 47 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | $41,994 | $19,159 | $13,171 | 49% |
20 more California 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 San Diego State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About San Diego State University
- Acceptance rate: 36% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 76% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $64,909
- Full cost breakdown · all 79 majors · overview
Related majors at San Diego State University
- Economics$74,123
- Social Sciences$52,095
- Sociology$53,387
- International Relations$59,733
- Anthropology$53,991
- Geography$58,004
San Diego State University Political Science questions
How much do San Diego State University Political Science graduates earn?
Political Science graduates of San Diego State University earn a median $64,824 four years after graduating and $38,060 one year after. The U.S. median for Political Science graduates across 561 colleges is $61,935.
How much debt do San Diego State University Political Science graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Political Science graduates of San Diego State University is $17,068, about 26% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,457.
Where does San Diego State University rank for Political Science in California?
Of 47 California colleges reporting Political Science graduate earnings, San Diego State University ranks 20th. The highest is Santa Clara University at $93,518.
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 $102,810 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 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: “San Diego State University Political Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/san-diego-state-university/majors/political-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).