Political Science and Government at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT's legendary reputation in STEM doesn't translate to its political science program—at least not in the salary data. Based on comparable programs in Massachusetts, graduates appear to earn around $43,000 in their first year, placing them squarely at the state median but well behind political science graduates from peer institutions like Harvard ($61,543) and Tufts ($67,713). With estimated debt of $25,000, the financial picture is manageable but unremarkable for an institution with a 5% admission rate and students who scored 1553 on the SAT.

The gap matters because MIT's selectivity and student caliber suggest outcomes should cluster with elite liberal arts colleges, not the middle of the pack. Students brilliant enough to gain admission here likely have options at schools where political science programs show stronger immediate earning power. The estimated debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 is reasonable compared to many programs nationwide, but that's cold comfort when you're looking at a $24,000 annual salary difference compared to Harvard down the street.

For a student genuinely passionate about political science, this raises a straightforward question: why choose MIT over institutions with demonstrated strength in this field? Unless your child plans to leverage MIT's technical reputation in a specific direction—say, data-driven policy analysis or tech policy—comparable programs elsewhere appear to deliver better early career outcomes.