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UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4510

Political Science and Government: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 4 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$81,004 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$81,004Median year-4 earnings

$22,112Average institution net-price context

$21,375Median federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$81,004Median reported earnings · year 4

$76,142Average reported earnings · year 5

$21,375Median federal debt

90thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

4Reporting programs

3With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $81,004
Federal debt: $21,375
Reporting programs: 4

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $43,165
Federal debt: $8,333
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $61,929
Federal debt: $23,708
Reporting programs: 609

568 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $75,523
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 16

16 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $105,203
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $114,020
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$70,537National median$81,00475th percentile$81,004

3 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Davidson College$101,438 2American University$81,004 3Arizona State University Campus Immersion$70,537 4University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterNot available

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Managers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 5 crosswalk linksPolitical ScientistsSOC 19-3094 · 5 crosswalk linksPolitical Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1065 · 4 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 4 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 2 crosswalk linksEconomics Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1063 · 1 crosswalk linksEconomistsSOC 19-3011 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Davidson CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Davidson, NC	$101,438	$19,500	Baseline needed	$17,379
2	American UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Washington, DC	$81,004	$23,250	Baseline needed	$41,943
3	Arizona State University Campus ImmersionUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Tempe, AZ	$70,537	$16,264	Baseline needed	$14,967
4	University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Whitewater, WI	Not available	$25,791	Baseline needed	$14,158

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.