Political Science and Government at State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz's political science program shows a peculiar earnings trajectory that demands explanation. Graduates earn just $24,676 in their first year—landing this program in the 5th percentile nationally and well below both the national median ($35,627) and New York's median ($35,158) for political science degrees. That first-year figure is barely above minimum wage for full-time work. The debt load of $19,500 is actually reasonable compared to peer programs, but when you're earning so little initially, even modest debt becomes burdensome with a 0.79 debt-to-earnings ratio.

The dramatic rebound to $47,318 by year four suggests many graduates may be pursuing graduate school, public service fellowships, or other paths that temporarily suppress earnings before leading to better outcomes. This would explain why the program ranks in just the 25th percentile among New York political science programs initially, despite New Paltz being a respectable mid-tier SUNY school. However, the sample size here is very small (under 30 graduates), which means a few outlier career paths could be skewing the entire picture.

For families considering this program: expect financial strain in the immediate post-graduation years. If your student isn't planning graduate school or a career path that justifies delayed earnings, this data suggests they might find better initial job prospects at other New York public universities where political science graduates start closer to $35,000.