Political Science and Government at Hastings College

Nebraska's political science programs cluster tightly around the same starting salary, and Hastings appears to land right in the middle based on comparable programs across the state. The estimated $35,311 first-year earnings mirrors the state median exactly, suggesting graduates here earn roughly what you'd expect from a political science degree in Nebraska—neither particularly strong nor weak compared to larger programs like UNL or Creighton.

The estimated $24,625 debt load sits slightly above both state and national medians for this major, which creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70. That's manageable in absolute terms—graduates would owe about 70 cents for every dollar earned in their first year—but it means Hastings students may be taking on marginally more debt than peers at other Nebraska schools to reach similar earning outcomes. The difference isn't dramatic, but it matters when starting salaries in this field hover in the mid-$30,000s regardless of where you study.

For families evaluating this program, the key question is whether the Hastings experience justifies that modest debt premium over alternatives. The similarities in outcomes across Nebraska schools suggest that for political science specifically, the credential matters more than the institution's name. If your student has compelling reasons to attend Hastings beyond career earnings—campus culture, financial aid packages, or specific faculty—the debt burden is reasonable. But if maximizing early career value is the priority, comparable programs exist with lower typical debt loads.