Political Science and Government at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

UL Lafayette's political science program costs less than most Louisiana competitors but starts graduates well below the national median—$28,518 versus $35,627 nationally. What makes this tricky is the state context: this program actually ranks in the 60th percentile among Louisiana's 17 political science programs, meaning it's middle-of-the-pack for the state even while trailing national norms. Your child would start roughly $13,000 behind graduates from Tulane or Louisiana Tech.

The silver lining is notable earnings growth—37% from year one to year four brings graduates to nearly $39,000, and the debt load of $22,063 is manageable at 0.77 times first-year earnings. But "manageable debt" doesn't change the fact that your graduate will be earning less than three-quarters of political science majors nationwide. The modest sample size (30-100 graduates) suggests this isn't a heavily enrolled program, which could limit both networking opportunities and statistical reliability.

For Louisiana families paying in-state tuition, this represents an affordable entry point into political science with reasonable debt. But if your child has admission options at Louisiana Tech or LSU, those programs deliver $6,000-12,000 more in starting salary while costing about the same in debt. Unless location in Lafayette specifically matters, the stronger earning trajectories elsewhere in Louisiana make them worth serious consideration.