Political Science and Government at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Minnesota's political science programs suggest first-year earnings around $35,000, which aligns closely with the national median for this major. But with estimated debt approaching $24,000, Saint Mary's graduates would face a debt burden equivalent to 68% of that first year's income—a figure that requires careful monthly budgeting in those early career years.

The challenge becomes clearer when you look at what peer programs in Minnesota achieve. The top five programs with reported data all produce earnings between $38,000 and $40,000—roughly $3,000 to $5,000 more than what similar programs across the state typically generate. That gap might not sound dramatic, but it compounds over time and affects how quickly graduates can pay down loans while building savings.

Political science degrees open doors to government, nonprofits, and corporate sectors, but the career trajectories vary widely. Given that these figures are drawn from comparable programs rather than Saint Mary's actual graduate outcomes, you're making this decision with limited visibility into how this specific program performs. The debt level is manageable if earnings track with state norms, but if your child is serious about this field, it's worth investigating whether Saint Mary's connects students to the kinds of internships and first jobs that help them land on the higher end of that earnings range.