# Southern Illinois University-Carbondale: Political Science (bachelor's)

Carbondale, IL. IPEDS 149222, CIP 45.10. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/political-science

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $26,635
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $55,544 (U.S. median for this major: $61,935 across 561 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $26,171 (U.S. median $23,457)
- Rank in IL: 16 of 21 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IL median for this major (21 colleges, $59,571): -$4,027
- Versus the U.S. median: -$6,391

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.32 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $55,544 minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,415 | $40,673 | 2.1 years |
| 30-48k | $8,497 | $36,707 | 1.9 years |
| 48-75k | $10,308 | $44,531 | 2.3 years |
| 75-110k | $17,724 | $76,568 | 3.9 years |
| 110k+ | $23,254 | $100,457 | 5.1 years |

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

## Political Science at IL colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | $87,869 | $18,500 | $14,860 | 96% |
| Northwestern University | $73,231 | $16,834 | $29,167 | 95% |
| Benedictine University | $71,749 | not reported | $22,313 | 50% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $69,515 | $20,025 | $14,355 | 85% |
| Roosevelt University | $68,226 | $24,625 | $20,194 | 35% |
| Loyola University Chicago | $63,437 | $23,250 | $36,079 | 73% |
| Lake Forest College | $61,770 | $27,000 | $28,673 | 78% |
| Eastern Illinois University | $61,519 | $24,739 | $12,786 | 47% |
| Northeastern Illinois University | $60,545 | $17,550 | $14,109 | 22% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | $60,020 | $21,761 | $10,974 | 62% |
| Illinois State University | $59,571 | $22,201 | $19,398 | 65% |
| Aurora University | $58,503 | not reported | $18,838 | 60% |
| University of Illinois Springfield | $58,236 | $25,848 | $9,833 | 53% |
| DePaul University | $58,163 | $24,499 | $30,902 | 68% |
| Bradley University | $57,832 | $27,000 | $22,719 | 76% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $55,544 | $26,171 | $13,297 | 62% |
| Augustana College | $55,295 | $27,000 | $22,736 | 73% |
| Knox College | $54,341 | $25,553 | $24,595 | 68% |
| Northern Illinois University | $54,039 | $27,000 | $13,391 | 49% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $52,564 | $24,250 | $14,889 | 57% |
| Western Illinois University | $50,963 | $25,000 | $12,937 | 45% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage not reported metro, $79,990 IL, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061): median wage not reported metro, $64,890 IL, $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).