Political Science and Government at Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna graduates with political science degrees earn $42,552 in their first year—about $7,000 above the national median and comfortably ahead of most programs in California. That's solid performance for a humanities degree, though it trails the elite programs like Stanford and Berkeley by significant margins. The estimated debt of $23,313, based on comparable programs at similar California schools, produces a manageable 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in about seven months of gross income.

The caveat here is that we're working with estimated debt figures since Claremont McKenna's graduate sample was too small for the DOE to publish. Similar California programs suggest this debt level is reasonable, especially at a highly selective school where 19% of students receive Pell grants. Political science degrees often lead to graduate school or competitive entry-level positions in public service, law, or business—fields where initial earnings don't tell the full story.

For parents, this looks like a defensible investment if your child thrives in a competitive environment (11% admission rate) and has clear post-graduation plans. The first-year earnings put Claremont McKenna in the top third of political science programs nationally, and the estimated debt burden isn't alarming. Just recognize you're paying for the Claremont McKenna network and credential as much as the major itself—political science outcomes depend heavily on what students do with the degree beyond their first job.