Political Science and Government at Carleton College

Carleton's stellar reputation isn't translating into early career earnings for political science graduates—at least not based on this limited data. With first-year earnings of $29,858, these graduates trail not just top Minnesota programs like University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ($40,208) and fellow liberal arts rival Macalester ($39,439), but also fall below the state median of $35,104. That's a $10,000+ gap compared to peers at Minnesota's flagship public university.

The $19,000 median debt is manageable in absolute terms, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64, but the real concern is the earning power itself. Carleton attracts exceptional students (1491 average SAT, 22% admission rate), yet these political science majors rank in just the 19th percentile nationally for earnings. This suggests either graduates are pursuing lower-paid public service work aligned with their values, heading to graduate school, or facing a disconnect between institutional prestige and immediate job market outcomes.

The critical caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so it may not represent the typical experience. Political science majors often pursue graduate degrees or fellowships that depress immediate earnings but lead to stronger long-term outcomes. If your child is considering Carleton for political science, dig deeper into placement data for graduate programs and career paths beyond that first year—the answer to whether this is worth it likely lies there, not in these preliminary numbers.