Political Science and Government at American University

American University's political science program demonstrates the power of location, but also its limits. Graduates earn $48,034 in their first year—dramatically above the national median of $35,627 and ranking in the 95th percentile nationally. That's impressive until you consider the DC context: among the eight programs in the district, this falls slightly below the median and trails Georgetown, GW, and even UDC. In a city where political science majors cluster and compete, American's outcomes are solid but middle-of-the-pack locally.

The financial fundamentals work well here. With $23,250 in median debt and strong first-year earnings, graduates face a manageable 0.48 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning debt is less than half their annual salary. More encouraging is the trajectory: earnings grow 30% to $62,267 by year four, suggesting graduates successfully leverage DC's policy ecosystem for career advancement. The robust sample size makes these figures reliable, not flukes.

For families paying a premium to be "in the room where it happens," this delivers solid returns nationally but not standout performance locally. If your student is choosing between American and schools outside DC, the location premium is real. If they're deciding between American and Georgetown or GW, understand they may be starting behind peers in the same labor market, though still earning well above national standards for the field.