University of Arizona Political Science: earnings, debt & careers

Political Science graduates of University of Arizona earn a median $56,585 four years after graduating ($36,193 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,630. That is $5,350 below the U.S. median for Political Science graduates ($61,935 across 561 colleges), and ranks 3rd of 3 Arizona colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$56,585

U.S. median for this major: $61,935.

College Scorecard field of study; 123 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$36,193

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,630

About 38% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,457.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,674 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $29,423. College Scorecard.

UA Political Science: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UA graduates$56,585
Arizona median (4 colleges)$62,549 (−$5,964)
U.S. median (561 colleges)$61,935 (−$5,350)

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 UA's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$13,353$57,2842.9 years
$30–48k$14,984$64,2813.2 years
$48–75k$16,051$68,8593.5 years
$75–110k$19,777$84,8434.3 years
$110k+$22,307$95,6974.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (51% 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 ($56,585) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AZ (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,924 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 Arizona colleges

Every Arizona college we cover that reports Political Science graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Arizona State University Campus Immersion$66,527$22,250$14,96768%
2Northern Arizona University$58,571$19,500$14,15861%
3University of Arizona$56,585$21,630$16,67468%

1 more Arizona college offers Political Science but has too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Political Science graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Tucson area$50,940
Arizona$58,360
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Social Science Research Assistants

Tucson area$61,680
Arizona$61,680
U.S.$61,990

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 UA, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About UA

Related majors at UA

UA Political Science questions

How much do UA Political Science graduates earn?

Political Science graduates of University of Arizona earn a median $56,585 four years after graduating and $36,193 one year after. The U.S. median for Political Science graduates across 561 colleges is $61,935.

How much debt do UA Political Science graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Political Science graduates of University of Arizona is $21,630, about 38% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,457.

Is UA a good school for Political Science in Arizona?

On pay, Political Science graduates of University of Arizona earn $56,585 four years out, $5,964 below the median for the same major across 4 Arizona colleges ($62,549) and $5,350 below the U.S. median ($61,935). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UA rank for Political Science in Arizona?

Of 3 Arizona colleges reporting Political Science graduate earnings, University of Arizona ranks 3rd. The highest is Arizona State University Campus Immersion at $66,527.

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 $50,940 in the Tucson, AZ 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
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Cite this: “University of Arizona Political Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-arizona/majors/political-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).