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Political Science

Types of Degrees Political Science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Political Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	9
Associate’s Degree	2,200
Bachelor’s Degree	38,447
Master’s Degree	1,978
Doctor’s Degree	725

What Political Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Political Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 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 Political Science 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 4.5 / 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

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Political Science 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 4.5 / 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, Political Science 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
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Political Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation 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	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
WinBUGS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Political Science graduates include:

• Government Instructor
• Public Policy Professor
• Political Science Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Political Science Adjunct Professor
• Public Administration Professor
• Political Theory Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Government Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Political Science Instructor
• Geopolitics Teacher
• Government Teacher
• Lecturer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	46.7%
Bachelor’s degree	33.8%
Master’s degree	6.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.3%
Some college courses	1.5%
Postsecondary certificate	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.4%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Political Science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.1% women and 45.9% men among Political Science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	23,457	54.1%
Men	19,902	45.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	22,808	52.6%
Asian	2,714	6.3%
Hispanic or Latino	9,004	20.8%
Black or African American	3,823	8.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	120	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	65	0.1%
Two or More Races	2,172	5.0%
Race Unknown	999	2.3%
International Students	1,654	3.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Political Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Political Science 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 Political Science Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Political Science. 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
Associate’s	26	21
Bachelor’s	42	47
Master’s	12	15

^{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 Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Political Science 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 Economy	45.1004
Political Science and Government, Other	45.1099
Economics, General	45.0601
International Relations and Affairs	45.0901
International Relations and National Security Studies, Other	45.0999
National Security Policy Studies	45.0902
Social Sciences, General	45.0101

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.