Political Science and Government at Texas State University

Texas State's political science graduates start slow but their earnings trajectory tells a more interesting story than the initial numbers suggest. First-year median earnings of $33,783 sit slightly below both state and national benchmarks, but by year four, graduates reach nearly $49,000—a 45% jump that outpaces typical wage growth. That kind of acceleration suggests these graduates are landing positions where advancement matters more than starting salary.

The program ranks around the 40th percentile among Texas political science programs, which means roughly 60% of the state's offerings—including heavy hitters like UT Austin and Texas A&M—produce better-earning graduates. However, the $22,760 debt load is manageable, coming in below the state median and creating a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. For context, graduates owe about two-thirds of their first-year salary, which they should be able to handle given the strong earnings growth.

The real question is whether your child can leverage this degree into those higher-paying roles by year four. Texas State serves a largely in-state, middle-class population (36% Pell recipients), and its political science program appears to open doors for graduates willing to work their way up. If your student is considering graduate school, law school, or government work where advancement is built-in, the relatively low debt combined with solid growth makes this a reasonable bet. If they need strong immediate earnings, the private universities on that top-performers list might justify their higher price tags.