Political Science and Government at University of Central Missouri

With just $23,678 in debt and manageable first-year earnings of $35,556, University of Central Missouri's political science program offers what looks like a reasonable entry point—until you examine what Missouri families can access elsewhere. This program falls below the state median for political science earnings ($36,886), landing in just the 40th percentile among Missouri schools. Competitors like Truman State deliver $39,813 median earnings with similar debt loads, while even Mizzou beats UCM by about $2,000 annually. The modest 3% earnings growth to year four suggests graduates aren't rapidly advancing into higher-paying roles that might justify the gap.

The program's main advantage is financial accessibility: the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 means graduates can reasonably manage repayment, and the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means outcomes could look different in larger cohorts. However, that same small sample should concern parents—it may indicate limited program resources or fewer career connections compared to Missouri's flagship universities that produce more political science graduates.

For Missouri families, this comes down to cost differential. If UCM offers significantly lower tuition than Truman State or Mizzou, the earnings gap might be worth it. But if you're paying similar amounts across these public options, the data suggests looking at schools where political science graduates consistently earn more from day one.