Political Science and Government at The University of Texas at Arlington

A political science degree from UT Arlington starts modestly at $31,550, trailing both the Texas median ($34,415) and national average. However, the four-year trajectory tells a different story: earnings jump 57% to nearly $50,000, eventually surpassing graduates from UT Austin and Texas A&M who started ahead. This program ranks at the 40th percentile among Texas political science programs—squarely middle-of-the-pack—but the strong earnings growth suggests graduates are finding their footing in fields like government relations, policy work, or law-adjacent careers.

The debt picture is reasonable at $20,406, coming in below both state and national medians. With a first-year debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65, graduates should be able to manage payments even during that initial lower-earning period. The real question is whether your child can weather that challenging first year or two—this isn't a quick path to financial independence like nursing or engineering might be.

For families considering UT Arlington's accessible admission (81% acceptance rate) and serving a substantial working-class student body (40% on Pell grants), this program offers a legitimate path upward, just not an immediate one. The later-career earnings growth makes this viable, but only if your child has patience and a plan for those lean early years.