# Macalester College: Political Science (bachelor's)

Saint Paul, MN. IPEDS 173902, CIP 45.10. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/macalester-college/majors/political-science

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $39,439
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $58,555 (U.S. median for this major: $61,935 across 561 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $23,250 (U.S. median $23,457)
- Rank in MN: 7 of 15 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MN median for this major (15 colleges, $58,256): +$299
- Versus the U.S. median: -$3,380

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.11 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $58,555 minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $13,772 | $56,603 | 2.8 years |
| 30-48k | $11,982 | $49,246 | 2.4 years |
| 48-75k | $11,098 | $45,613 | 2.2 years |
| 75-110k | $20,527 | $84,366 | 4.1 years |
| 110k+ | $44,880 | $184,457 | 9.1 years |

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

## Political Science at MN colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | $65,487 | $20,465 | $16,778 | 85% |
| College of Saint Benedict | $64,777 | $27,000 | $26,640 | 77% |
| Saint Johns University | $63,770 | $27,000 | $25,672 | 75% |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | $62,218 | $27,000 | $22,900 | 77% |
| University of St Thomas | $61,922 | $22,750 | $29,155 | 76% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato | $59,997 | $25,460 | $19,139 | 54% |
| Macalester College | $58,555 | $23,250 | $32,149 | 87% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | $58,256 | $20,089 | $18,743 | 65% |
| St Olaf College | $57,869 | $24,250 | $23,874 | 84% |
| Augsburg University | $55,676 | $19,000 | $23,873 | 52% |
| Winona State University | $55,027 | $25,875 | $17,503 | 57% |
| Carleton College | $53,975 | $19,000 | $25,407 | 90% |
| Hamline University | $53,252 | $20,500 | $20,744 | 61% |
| Saint Cloud State University | $48,305 | $22,908 | $13,529 | 40% |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | $48,014 | $27,000 | $24,902 | 61% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $79,010 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, $76,460 MN, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061): median wage $45,760 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, $44,920 MN, $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).