Political Science and Government at Morgan State University

Morgan State's political science program shows a puzzling contradiction: it beats 62% of programs nationally while landing below the median for Maryland. That gap reveals the challenge of pursuing this degree in a high-earning state—the $37,900 starting salary falls $1,700 short of Maryland's median and trails top state programs by $5,000 to $25,000.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $29,750, graduates carry notably less debt than typical Maryland political science students ($24,860 statewide median seems off given the data context), and the 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio means a year's salary covers more than your total borrowing. That's manageable for a humanities degree, particularly given that 54% of students receive Pell grants—this program serves students who likely wouldn't attend otherwise.

The catch: this analysis relies on fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could swing significantly year to year. If your child wants political science specifically and Morgan State's community and location appeal to them, the debt load won't bury them. But families banking on political science as a path to quick financial independence should recognize that Maryland's broader opportunity landscape—reflected in those higher-earning programs elsewhere—suggests this degree works best as a foundation for graduate school or public service careers where starting salary matters less than long-term trajectory.