Political Science and Government at Loyola University New Orleans

The first-year earnings of $26,281 place Loyola's Political Science program in the bottom 5% nationally, though it sits near the middle of Louisiana's offerings—a state where this major generally underperforms the national norm. The starting debt of $27,000 (slightly above state and national medians) means graduates carry more than a full year's salary in loans initially, a challenging position for a humanities degree.

The 92% earnings jump to $50,415 by year four is the program's saving grace, suggesting graduates who stick with related careers find their footing after a difficult start. However, the small sample size here is critical—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could shift dramatically with even a handful of different career outcomes. You're looking at a snapshot that may not represent the typical experience.

For parents, this means accepting significant financial risk during those early career years when loan payments begin. If your child is considering law school, policy work, or graduate programs where that four-year earning trajectory matters, the investment might make sense. But if they need immediate earning power after graduation, the $15,000 gap between Loyola and Tulane's political science grads at year one is real money when you're servicing $27,000 in debt.