Political Science & Government

Types of Degrees Political Science & Government Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many political science and government graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	43,812
Associate Degree	2,446
Master’s Degree	1,936
Doctor’s Degree	654
Basic Certificate	345
Graduate Certificate	74
Undergraduate Certificate	15

What Political Science & Government Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to political science and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Political Science Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in political science should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Skills for Political Science Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to political science:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Political Science Majors

A major in political science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Political Science & Government Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with political science:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Economics Professors	10.9%	$101,480
Economists	6.1%	$104,340
Environmental Economists	6.1%	$104,340
Investment Fund Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Political Science Professors	10.4%	$83,370
Political Scientists	2.7%	$117,570
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Security Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science & Government?

This is one of the most frequently chosen undergraduate majors. It is the 12th most popular in the country with 43,812 students graduating with a bachelor’s in political science in 2021. According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 52% of the graduates are women, and 48% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of political science majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2,500
Black or African American	4,105
Hispanic or Latino	8,126
White	24,382
International Students	1,483
Other Races/Ethnicities	3,216

Geographic Diversity

Political Science appeals to people across the globe. About 3.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia
• Canada
• India

How Much Do Political Science & Government Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that political science and government students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $33,089 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $29,294 (25th percentile) and $37,486 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a political science degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Political Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $115,300 to $116,020 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Political Science & Government

Some degrees associated with political science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to political science have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.9%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.1%
Some College Courses	0.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	25.8%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.4%
Master’s Degree	20.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	3.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	44.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.8%

Online Political Science & Government Programs

In 2020-2021, 1,314 schools offered a political science program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	7	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	199	18
Bachelor’s Degree	37	6
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	239	9
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	128	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Political Science & Government Worth It?

The median salary for a political science grad is $115,590 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 190% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,513,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Political Science & Government

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to political science.

Major	Number of Grads
Economics	49,055
Sociology	38,475
General Social Sciences	18,997
International Relations & National Security	14,306
Anthropology	11,415
Criminology	11,039
Geography & Cartography	8,526
Other Social Sciences	2,414
Urban Studies	1,507
Sociology & Anthropology	541
Archeology	339
Demography & Population Studies	88

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By UKWiki at English Wikipedia under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.