Political Science and Government

Bachelor's degree · University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA

CIP 45.10

$38,063Median earnings 1 year after graduating
$75,090Median earnings 4 years after
$78,005Median earnings 5 years after
$12,000Median federal debt
132Graduates per year

How this program compares

Graduates of the bachelor's degree program in Political Science and Government at University of Southern California earn a median of $38,063 one year after completing the program. Nationally, bachelor's degree graduates in this field earn a median of $63,293 four years after graduating (middle half: $44,760–$85,406). Median debt is $12,000, about 32% of first-year earnings – a manageable level by common guidelines.

Political Science and Government (Bachelor's degree) at other California schools

CollegeEarnings (1 yr)Median debt
Stanford University
Stanford
$59,297$11,705
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara
$57,111$20,500
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley
$45,418$13,000
Saint Mary's College of California
Moraga
$45,296$25,000
Occidental College
Los Angeles
$45,175$25,700
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park
$43,547$15,000
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont
$42,552—
Pepperdine University
Malibu
$42,306$23,625
California State University-Chico
Chico
$41,893$20,000
California State University-East Bay
Hayward
$40,460$18,322
University of San Francisco
San Francisco
$40,056$23,000
University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
$39,404$15,033
San Diego State University
San Diego
$38,060$17,364
University of Redlands
Redlands
$37,091$26,000
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
$37,003$17,831

Highest-paying Political Science and Government programs nationwide →

Other programs at University of Southern California

Frequently asked questions

How much do Political Science and Government graduates from University of Southern California make?

The median salary is $38,063 one year after graduation and $78,005 after five years.

How much student debt do graduates have?

Graduates who borrowed federal loans owe a median of $12,000.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release (Field of Study data). Earnings are for graduates who received federal financial aid.