Political Science and Government at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Saint Joseph's political science graduates land above both the national and state medians at $38,894, ranking in the 60th percentile among Pennsylvania's 72 programs. That's a solid outcome, though obviously nowhere near the elite $65,000+ territory of Penn or Lehigh. More important for assessing value: the $20,000 debt load is considerably lighter than both the state average ($26,000) and national median ($23,500), creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.51. The 47% earnings jump to $57,069 by year four suggests graduates are finding their footing in careers where political science degrees translate to real advancement.

The caveat here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, one or two outliers could shift these numbers significantly. That said, the pattern—moderate starting salary, low debt, strong growth trajectory—aligns with what you'd expect from a respected Philadelphia institution with an 86% admission rate. This isn't a program producing State Department stars, but it appears to prepare graduates for steady professional advancement without burying them in debt.

For families considering this option, the low debt burden is the real selling point. Your child won't start their career with a crushing payment hanging over them, and the earnings growth suggests they'll have room to explore different paths in policy, nonprofits, or the private sector without being locked into the highest-paying option just to service loans.