Political Science and Government at Gettysburg College

Gettysburg's political science program sits in an interesting middle tier—significantly outperforming most Pennsylvania schools and the national average, but trailing the state's elite private institutions by a meaningful margin. First-year graduates earn $43,322, which places them in the 85th percentile nationally but only the 60th percentile within Pennsylvania. That Pennsylvania ranking matters: families paying for a selective private college ($47,000 sticker price, though most receive aid) are likely comparing Gettysburg to schools like Lafayette ($48,112) and Bucknell ($53,012), where political science majors start considerably higher.

The financial structure itself looks quite reasonable. At $27,000 in median debt—just slightly above the state median—graduates face a manageable 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's considerably better than the typical political science major's burden. The 53% earnings jump to $66,454 by year four suggests graduates are successfully converting their liberal arts education into career advancement, whether in law school preparation, public service, or the private sector.

For families deciding between Gettysburg and Pennsylvania's top-tier privates, this becomes a cost-benefit question: if financial aid packages are similar, the earnings gap with schools like Bucknell ($53,012) adds up to roughly $40,000 over four years. But if Gettysburg offers substantially better aid, the lower debt combined with solid earnings growth could make it the smarter investment. The program delivers value—just not quite at the premium level its peer institutions achieve.