U.S. median for this major: $61,935.
College Scorecard field of study; 48 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 25% 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 $87,419. College Scorecard.
Vassar 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 Vassar 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 | $15,953 | $65,567 | 1.9 years |
| $30–48k | $14,548 | $59,792 | 1.7 years |
| $48–75k | $14,126 | $58,058 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $25,773 | $105,927 | 3.0 years |
| $110k+ | $56,615 | $232,688 | 6.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (81% 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 ($69,942) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $35,309 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 New York colleges
Every New York 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 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $100,245 | $22,943 | $21,590 | 96% |
| 2 | Cornell University | $95,391 | $14,400 | $28,690 | 95% |
| 3 | Hamilton College | $88,019 | $12,500 | $28,985 | 91% |
| 4 | Colgate University | $83,188 | $16,250 | $28,786 | 91% |
| 5 | New York University | $80,957 | $20,500 | $37,050 | 88% |
| 6 | Hobart William Smith Colleges | $79,778 | $27,000 | $31,563 | 77% |
| 7 | Barnard College | $77,805 | $19,000 | $28,800 | 93% |
| 8 | St Lawrence University | $75,486 | $27,000 | $28,651 | 79% |
| 9 | Syracuse University | $75,239 | $26,799 | $38,793 | 84% |
| 10 | Union College | $75,005 | $26,899 | $34,561 | 80% |
| 11 | Fordham University | $74,419 | $24,575 | $44,338 | 82% |
| 12 | Marist University | $74,308 | $23,250 | $41,544 | 80% |
| 13 | Binghamton University | $73,044 | $20,000 | $21,620 | 82% |
| 14 | Stony Brook University | $70,243 | $19,406 | $18,784 | 76% |
| 15 | Vassar College | $69,942 | $17,500 | $39,343 | 91% |
| 16 | Skidmore College | $69,091 | $23,025 | $32,297 | 83% |
| 17 | University of Rochester | $68,510 | $21,000 | $29,278 | 85% |
| 18 | SUNY College at Geneseo | $66,670 | $19,500 | $18,211 | 71% |
| 19 | SUNY Oneonta | $66,572 | $22,375 | $19,158 | 69% |
| 20 | Pace University | $66,408 | $26,000 | $30,892 | 60% |
| 21 | CUNY Queens College | $65,213 | $11,000 | $4,195 | 53% |
| 22 | University at Albany | $64,270 | $22,750 | $17,167 | 61% |
| 23 | Le Moyne College | $64,258 | $26,400 | $22,277 | 73% |
| 24 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | $64,231 | $12,000 | $3,033 | 72% |
| 25 | Hofstra University | $63,728 | $23,500 | $34,176 | 69% |
| 26 | CUNY Brooklyn College | $63,184 | $16,274 | $3,103 | 54% |
| 27 | Siena College | $63,075 | $27,000 | $33,733 | 75% |
| 28 | Canisius University | $62,398 | $24,015 | $17,940 | 66% |
| 29 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | $62,150 | $14,820 | $3,203 | 56% |
| 30 | CUNY Hunter College | $62,040 | $9,531 | $2,984 | 57% |
| 31 | Hartwick College | $61,608 | $25,710 | $31,320 | 53% |
| 32 | College of Staten Island CUNY | $60,500 | $12,603 | $5,579 | 34% |
| 33 | State University of New York at Cortland | $60,296 | $24,138 | $22,345 | 68% |
| 34 | CUNY City College | $59,540 | $11,500 | $3,776 | 57% |
| 35 | Iona University | $59,151 | $27,000 | $29,188 | 56% |
| 36 | St. John's University-New York | $59,122 | $26,827 | $29,999 | 66% |
| 37 | CUNY Lehman College | $59,020 | $12,334 | $3,148 | 51% |
| 38 | University at Buffalo | $58,292 | $20,750 | $20,995 | 75% |
| 39 | SUNY Buffalo State University | $58,041 | $26,875 | $11,346 | 33% |
| 40 | SUNY Brockport | $57,866 | $25,370 | $16,353 | 55% |
| 41 | SUNY at Fredonia | $57,321 | — | $15,897 | 50% |
| 42 | State University of New York at Oswego | $56,281 | $24,376 | $16,236 | 60% |
| 43 | Manhattan University | $54,486 | $24,375 | $27,256 | 64% |
| 44 | Long Island University | $53,556 | $22,593 | $33,062 | 57% |
| 45 | State University of New York at New Paltz | $53,534 | $19,500 | $18,809 | 72% |
| 46 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | $49,754 | $24,106 | $17,156 | 59% |
| 47 | Ithaca College | $49,440 | $19,500 | $33,926 | 76% |
| 48 | St. Joseph's University-New York | $47,296 | — | $19,035 | 69% |
30 more New York 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 Vassar College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Vassar College
- Acceptance rate: 19% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 91% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $71,366
- Full cost breakdown · all 41 majors · overview
Related majors at Vassar College
- Economics$102,584
- Sociology$61,106
- International Relations$63,591
- Anthropology—
- Geography—
- Social Sciences, Other—
Vassar College Political Science questions
How much do Vassar College Political Science graduates earn?
Political Science graduates of Vassar College earn a median $69,942 four years after graduating and $48,679 one year after. The U.S. median for Political Science graduates across 561 colleges is $61,935.
How much debt do Vassar College Political Science graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Political Science graduates of Vassar College is $17,500, about 25% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,457.
Is Vassar College a good school for Political Science in New York?
On pay, Political Science graduates of Vassar College earn $69,942 four years out, $5,962 above the median for the same major across 48 New York colleges ($63,980) and $8,007 above the U.S. median ($61,935). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Vassar College rank for Political Science in New York?
Of 48 New York colleges reporting Political Science graduate earnings, Vassar College ranks 15th. The highest is Columbia University in the City of New York at $100,245.
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 $89,320 in the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY 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: “Vassar College Political Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/vassar-college/majors/political-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).