# American University: Political Science (bachelor's)

Washington, DC. IPEDS 131159, CIP 45.10. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/american-university/majors/political-science

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $48,034
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $73,604 (U.S. median for this major: $61,935 across 561 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $23,250 (U.S. median $23,457)
- Rank in DC: 4 of 6 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the DC median for this major (6 colleges, $73,760): -$156
- Versus the U.S. median: +$11,669

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.09 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $73,604 minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $23,233 | $95,023 | 2.7 years |
| 30-48k | $20,444 | $83,616 | 2.4 years |
| 48-75k | $26,035 | $106,483 | 3.0 years |
| 75-110k | $30,063 | $122,958 | 3.5 years |
| 110k+ | $53,673 | $219,523 | 6.2 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Political Science at DC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University | $79,692 | $23,000 | $36,586 | 84% |
| Georgetown University | $79,502 | $16,500 | $40,815 | 95% |
| The Catholic University of America | $73,917 | $25,000 | $29,561 | 80% |
| American University | $73,604 | $23,250 | $41,943 | 76% |
| University of the District of Columbia | $66,952 | $36,562 | $10,648 | 33% |
| Howard University | $65,733 | $27,000 | $50,539 | 70% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $80,300 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $82,750 DC, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061): median wage $65,330 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $65,330 DC, $61,990 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).