Political Science and Government at Trinity University

Trinity's Political Science program shows surprisingly weak outcomes for such a selective institution—graduates earn just $27,601 in their first year, falling $7,000 below the Texas median and ranking in the bottom quarter of Texas programs. For perspective, UT Austin's political science graduates earn 57% more right out of the gate, while Rice and SMU graduates nearly double Trinity's first-year earnings.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could swing significantly year to year, but the pattern is concerning for a school with a 28% admission rate and average SAT of 1407. Students are building selective-school credentials while posting earnings more typical of non-selective state schools. The $25,000 debt load is fairly typical, but when paired with below-average earnings, the ratio becomes less manageable than it should be.

If your child is considering Trinity for political science, understand they're likely paying private school tuition ($40,000+ per year) for public school outcomes. Unless they have substantial merit aid bringing costs down significantly, or plan to leverage Trinity's small class sizes for graduate school preparation, the return on investment doesn't align with the school's overall reputation. The many Texas students who choose larger state flagship programs for political science appear to be making the financially smarter choice.