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American Government & Politics

Types of Degrees American Government & Politics Majors Are Earning

Those studying American Government & Politics can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	12
Bachelor’s Degree	164
Master’s Degree	110

What American Government & Politics Majors Need to Know

Studies in American Government & Politics develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that American Government & Politics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing American Government & Politics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a American Government & Politics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to American Government & Politics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, American Government & Politics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by American Government & Politics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
WinBUGS	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for American Government & Politics graduates include:

• Public Administration Teacher
• University Faculty Member
• Government Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Political Science Instructor
• Government Professor
• Public Policy Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Public Administration Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Political Science Professor
• Government Instructor
• Political Science Faculty Member
• Instructor
• Political Science Adjunct Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to American Government & Politics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	48.8%
Bachelor’s degree	32.9%
Master’s degree	5.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.3%
Postsecondary certificate	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Some college courses	1.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in American Government & Politics?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 45.1% women and 54.9% men among American Government & Politics graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	129	45.1%
Men	157	54.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of American Government & Politics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	185	64.7%
Asian	5	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	32	11.2%
Black or African American	32	11.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	16	5.6%
Race Unknown	8	2.8%
International Students	7	2.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do American Government & Politics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of American Government & Politics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,510
4 years	$55,642
5 years	$66,446

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,446 — roughly 73% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online American Government & Politics Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for American Government & Politics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in American Government & Politics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, American Government & Politics graduates earn a median of $55,642 four years after completion — roughly 46% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Political Science and Government	45.10
Canadian Government and Politics	45.1003
Political Economy	45.1004
Political Science and Government, General	45.1001
Political Science and Government, Other	45.1099
International Relations and Affairs	45.0901
International Relations and National Security Studies, Other	45.0999
National Security Policy Studies	45.0902
Economics, General	45.0601

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.