Yale University Political Science: earnings, debt & careers

Political Science graduates of Yale University earn a median $90,764 four years after graduating ($57,466 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $15,000. That is $28,829 above the U.S. median for Political Science graduates ($61,935 across 561 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 14 Connecticut colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$90,764

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

College Scorecard field of study; 84 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$57,466

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$15,000

About 17% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,457.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$23,777 /yr

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

Sticker price $88,300. College Scorecard.

Yale University Political Science: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Yale University graduates$90,764
Connecticut median (14 colleges)$63,902 (+$26,862)
U.S. median (561 colleges)$61,935 (+$28,829)

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 Yale University'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$17,633$76,5271.4 years
$30–48k$15,626$67,8171.3 years
$48–75k$17,943$77,8731.5 years
$75–110k$12,558$54,5021.0 years
$110k+$45,951$199,4273.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (66% 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 ($90,764) minus $37,781 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CT (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $52,983 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 Connecticut colleges

Every Connecticut 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
1Trinity College$94,097$25,000$34,83284%
2Yale University$90,764$15,000$23,77796%
3Fairfield University$83,709$27,000$48,09584%
4Connecticut College$74,190$24,800$36,17582%
5Quinnipiac University$73,833$27,000$40,67576%
6Sacred Heart University$65,879$20,750$46,17473%
7University of Connecticut$63,902$22,375$25,09783%
8University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$63,902$22,375$10,87553%
9University of Connecticut-Avery Point$63,902$22,375$13,80762%
10University of Connecticut-Stamford$63,902$22,375$16,79857%
11University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus$63,902$22,375$16,40365%
12Central Connecticut State University$60,678$18,689$16,85748%
13Eastern Connecticut State University$54,479$27,000$21,06758%
14Southern Connecticut State University$45,270$26,499$20,85750%

8 more Connecticut 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

New Haven area$79,800
Connecticut$80,970
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

Connecticut$60,110
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 Yale University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Yale University

Related majors at Yale University

  • Economics$142,936
  • Sociology—
  • International Relations—
  • Anthropology—

Yale University Political Science questions

How much do Yale University Political Science graduates earn?

Political Science graduates of Yale University earn a median $90,764 four years after graduating and $57,466 one year after. The U.S. median for Political Science graduates across 561 colleges is $61,935.

How much debt do Yale University Political Science graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Political Science graduates of Yale University is $15,000, about 17% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,457.

Is Yale University a good school for Political Science in Connecticut?

On pay, Political Science graduates of Yale University earn $90,764 four years out, $26,862 above the median for the same major across 14 Connecticut colleges ($63,902) and $28,829 above the U.S. median ($61,935). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Yale University rank for Political Science in Connecticut?

Of 14 Connecticut colleges reporting Political Science graduate earnings, Yale University ranks 2nd. The highest is Trinity College at $94,097.

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 $79,800 in the New Haven, CT 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: “Yale University Political Science: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/yale-university/majors/political-science (College Scorecard and BLS data).