Political Science and Government at Bellarmine University

Bellarmine's political science graduates start significantly behind the curve, earning just $25,424 one year out—that's $6,000 below the Kentucky median for this major and placing them in the bottom 5% nationally. While the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift dramatically year to year, the pattern is concerning: even programs like Western Kentucky, which also shows modest earnings, outperform Bellarmine by year four.

The debt burden of $25,226 is slightly higher than both state and national medians, creating a nearly 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio that means graduates spend their first year barely above the poverty line while carrying substantial loans. The 46% earnings growth to $37,194 by year four is encouraging, but even after that jump, graduates still earn less than what their peers at UK or Eastern Kentucky make early in their careers. Among Kentucky's 20 political science programs, this ranks at the 25th percentile—fourth from the bottom.

Given Bellarmine's 94% admission rate and these outcomes, families should carefully consider whether this program justifies the investment. If your child is drawn to political science, the University of Kentucky offers 40% higher starting earnings at comparable or lower debt. The small sample size leaves room for hope that these numbers aren't representative, but you'd be betting against limited evidence rather than working with encouraging data.