Political Science and Government at Long Island University

Long Island University's political science program beats both state and national medians by about $4,000 annually, placing it in the 60th percentile among New York's 81 programs—solid middle-of-the-pack performance in a competitive state market. The $22,593 in typical debt translates to just over half a year's salary, which is manageable for a liberal arts degree. However, the small sample size here matters: with fewer than 30 recent graduates reporting, a few outliers could be skewing these numbers up or down.

The real question is what your child plans to do with this degree. Political science majors typically need graduate school or strategic internships to build earning power, and LIU's 90% acceptance rate suggests it may not offer the elite networking opportunities that drive higher salaries at places like Columbia or Cornell (where grads earn $60,000+). The first-year earnings here won't support a fancy lifestyle in the New York metro area, but they're respectable for a humanities degree and the debt burden won't be crushing.

If your child is committed to political science and considering LIU, the numbers suggest it's a reasonable choice—neither a standout nor a red flag. Just make sure they have a clear plan for leveraging the degree, whether that's law school, public service, or building connections through campus opportunities.