Political Science and Government at Loyola University Maryland

Loyola University Maryland's political science program commands a premium price tag with $27,000 in median debt, but it delivers earnings that justify the investment. Graduates earn $44,572 in their first year—ranking in the 89th percentile nationally for this major and pulling ahead of Maryland's state median by $5,000. That 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio sits comfortably in manageable territory, and the 40% earnings jump to $62,443 by year four suggests strong career momentum that many liberal arts programs struggle to achieve.

Within Maryland, the picture becomes more nuanced. While Loyola outperforms the state median and most regional competitors like Morgan State and Frostburg State, it trails University of Maryland Global Campus's impressive $62,476 and sits just ahead of the flagship College Park campus. For families paying Loyola's private school tuition, these outcomes represent solid but not exceptional performance compared to public alternatives.

The fundamental question is whether the smaller classes and campus experience at Loyola justify the premium over Maryland's public universities, which produce similar early-career earnings with potentially lower debt. If your child thrives in smaller academic settings and plans to leverage those connections into the kind of career trajectory the earnings growth suggests, this program delivers clear value. If cost minimization is the priority, the public options merit serious consideration.