Political Science and Government at Saint Norbert College

A political science degree from Saint Norbert College comes with an estimated $22,500 in debt—slightly below both the Wisconsin and national medians—which creates a manageable financial foundation for graduates entering a notoriously competitive field. Based on comparable Wisconsin programs, first-year earnings around $38,600 would put Saint Norbert graduates near the state median and above the national benchmark of $35,600. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 suggests graduates could reasonably pay down their loans within a few years if they secure typical entry-level positions in government, nonprofits, or business.

What's less certain is whether Saint Norbert's outcomes match these peer program estimates. The top-performing political science programs in Wisconsin—UW-Oshkosh and UW-Madison—report first-year earnings over $42,000, nearly $4,000 more than the state median Saint Norbert is benchmarked against. Given Saint Norbert's 92% admission rate and small political science cohort (hence the suppressed data), it's unclear whether graduates here achieve the networking advantages or career placement support that might justify the private college price tag over a state university alternative.

For parents weighing this investment, the estimated debt load is reasonable, but the real question is whether Saint Norbert delivers outcomes competitive with Wisconsin's public universities. If your student has strong law school or graduate school ambitions where the small-college experience matters, this could work. If they're planning to enter the workforce immediately, the public university options with proven higher earnings deserve serious consideration.