# Drake University: Political Science (bachelor's)

Des Moines, IA. IPEDS 153269, CIP 45.10. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/drake-university/majors/political-science

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: not reported
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $67,257 (U.S. median for this major: $61,935 across 561 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $21,138 (U.S. median $23,457)
- Rank in IA: 2 of 7 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IA median for this major (7 colleges, $63,790): +$3,467
- Versus the U.S. median: +$5,322

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.12 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $67,257 minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $25,824 | $106,395 | 3.5 years |
| 30-48k | $23,275 | $95,893 | 3.1 years |
| 48-75k | $25,171 | $103,705 | 3.4 years |
| 75-110k | $27,408 | $112,921 | 3.7 years |
| 110k+ | $33,126 | $136,479 | 4.5 years |

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

## Political Science at IA colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grinnell College | $68,518 | $17,500 | $17,648 | 88% |
| Drake University | $67,257 | $21,138 | $29,127 | 74% |
| University of Iowa | $65,923 | $24,250 | $22,531 | 75% |
| Simpson College | $63,790 | not reported | $21,936 | 63% |
| Iowa State University | $57,752 | $23,250 | $18,589 | 75% |
| Luther College | $53,510 | $27,000 | $23,097 | 71% |
| University of Northern Iowa | $50,277 | $27,000 | $15,901 | 68% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $62,480 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, $61,200 IA, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061): median wage $33,840 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, $40,940 IA, $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).