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Political Economy

Types of Degrees Political Economy Majors Are Earning

Those studying Political Economy may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	247
Master’s Degree	18
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Political Economy Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Political Economy build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Political Economy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Political Economy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Political Economy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Political Economy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Political Economy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Political Economy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Political Economy graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Faculty Member
• University Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Public Administration Professor
• International Relations Professor
• Political Science Adjunct Professor
• Adjunct Political Science Professor
• Political Science Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Political Economy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	60.7%
Bachelor’s degree	20.0%
Master’s degree	8.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
Post-master’s certificate	2.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Some college courses	1.4%
Postsecondary certificate	1.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
Post-doctoral training	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Political Economy?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47.4% women and 52.6% men among Political Economy graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	126	47.4%
Men	140	52.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Political Economy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	130	48.9%
Asian	40	15.0%
Hispanic or Latino	31	11.7%
Black or African American	20	7.5%
Two or More Races	8	3.0%
Race Unknown	11	4.1%
International Students	26	9.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Political Economy Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Political Economy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Political Economy Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Political Economy. 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	1	0

^{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 Political Economy Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Political Economy 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
American Government and Politics (United States)	45.1002
Canadian Government and Politics	45.1003
Political Science and Government, General	45.1001
Political Science and Government, Other	45.1099
Applied Economics	45.0602
Development Economics and International Development	45.0604
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics	45.0603
Economics, General	45.0601
Economics, Other	45.0699

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.