# Purdue University: Political Science (bachelor's)

West Lafayette, IN. IPEDS 243780, CIP 45.10. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/political-science

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $39,708
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $71,601 (U.S. median for this major: $61,935 across 561 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $20,000 (U.S. median $23,457)
- Rank in IN: 5 of 11 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IN median for this major (11 colleges, $69,992): +$1,609
- Versus the U.S. median: +$9,666

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.26 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $71,601 minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $5,098 | $21,717 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $6,241 | $26,587 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $9,438 | $40,206 | 1.1 years |
| 75-110k | $18,177 | $77,434 | 2.1 years |
| 110k+ | $22,742 | $96,881 | 2.7 years |

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

## Political Science at IN colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame | $94,297 | $19,000 | $26,780 | 95% |
| DePauw University | $79,117 | $27,000 | $22,264 | 75% |
| Saint Mary's College | $74,623 | not reported | $25,292 | 69% |
| Wabash College | $74,061 | $27,000 | $24,336 | 77% |
| Purdue University | $71,601 | $20,000 | $14,600 | 83% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | $69,992 | $17,951 | $16,264 | 80% |
| Indiana State University | $59,060 | $25,987 | $10,873 | 43% |
| Ball State University | $58,953 | $25,410 | $14,940 | 62% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | $56,560 | $18,500 | $11,668 | 55% |
| Valparaiso University | $56,054 | $27,000 | $18,578 | 70% |
| University of Indianapolis | $53,579 | $25,963 | $21,602 | 56% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $62,590 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $61,880 IN, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061): median wage not reported Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $57,020 IN, $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).