Political Science and Government at Claflin University

Claflin University's Political Science program serves a predominantly low-income student body (73% on Pell grants) and produces outcomes that land squarely in the middle of South Carolina's range—but with a crucial advantage: remarkably manageable debt. At $27,000, graduates leave with about $6,500 less debt than the national median for this major, placing the program in the 5th percentile for debt nationwide. Combined with a 0.81 debt-to-earnings ratio, this means most graduates can realistically manage their loan payments on entry-level salaries, a significant consideration for first-generation college students.

The earnings trajectory shows steady growth—from $33,287 to $38,913 over four years—though graduates still earn slightly below both state and national medians. However, context matters: this program ranks 40th percentile in South Carolina, meaning it outperforms most smaller programs in the state. The comparison to flagship schools like The Citadel or College of Charleston might feel discouraging, but those serve different student populations with different incoming advantages. For a family weighing whether college is financially feasible at all, Claflin's combination of reasonable debt and consistent earnings growth represents a genuine pathway to the middle class.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means individual outcomes could vary more than these numbers suggest, but the debt figure is the real story here. Families should feel confident that this program won't bury their student in unmanageable loans.