# Rhode Island College: Political Science (bachelor's)

Providence, RI. IPEDS 217420, CIP 45.10. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/rhode-island-college/majors/political-science

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $29,178
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $54,540 (U.S. median for this major: $61,935 across 561 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $21,435 (U.S. median $23,457)
- Rank in RI: 6 of 6 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the RI median for this major (6 colleges, $69,521): -$14,981
- Versus the U.S. median: -$7,395

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.64 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $54,540 minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $6,378 | $29,594 | 2.0 years |
| 30-48k | $6,989 | $32,429 | 2.2 years |
| 48-75k | $8,701 | $40,373 | 2.8 years |
| 75-110k | $12,809 | $59,434 | 4.1 years |
| 110k+ | $15,681 | $72,760 | 5.0 years |

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

## Political Science at RI colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University | $85,388 | $14,481 | $25,184 | 96% |
| Bryant University | $78,579 | $23,250 | $41,219 | 80% |
| Providence College | $75,637 | $27,000 | $48,523 | 86% |
| Roger Williams University | $63,405 | $27,000 | $37,999 | 69% |
| University of Rhode Island | $60,559 | $20,500 | $21,440 | 73% |
| Rhode Island College | $54,540 | $21,435 | $9,478 | 48% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $92,110 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, $92,610 RI, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061): median wage $52,470 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, $51,420 RI, $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).