International Relations and National Security Studies at Lewis & Clark College

A $23,000 debt load for a degree that sees earnings jump from roughly $37,000 in year one to $54,455 by year four tells an encouraging story about trajectory. While that first-year figure comes from national peer programs (the graduate sample here was too small for the DOE to publish), Lewis & Clark's reported four-year earnings are nearly 80% above what similar programs typically produce nationally and substantially higher than Portland State's $30,253. That kind of mid-career acceleration matters more than a modest starting point.

The debt picture looks reasonable at 0.62 times estimated first-year earnings, below the national median for this field. At a selective liberal arts college with strong academic credentials (average SAT of 1321), graduates may be positioning themselves for careers in government, diplomacy, or policy work where earning potential builds gradually but reliably. The four-year data suggests that's exactly what's happening here.

Your child would be betting on growth rather than immediate payoff. If they can manage on $37,000 initially—potentially through public service loan programs or family support—the trajectory toward mid-fifties earnings looks solid. Just recognize that the early-career figure is an educated guess from similar programs nationwide, not Lewis & Clark's actual track record.