Political Science and Government at University of Northern Iowa

The small sample size here demands caution, but the numbers suggest University of Northern Iowa's Political Science program punches above its weight. Starting at $37,875, graduates earn more than the typical Iowa poli sci grad ($36,662) and rank around the 60th percentile statewide—solid performance for a school with a 94% acceptance rate. More importantly, earnings jump 32% by year four to nearly $50,000, outpacing many peer programs and showing genuine career momentum.

The debt picture is particularly attractive: $27,000 is actually below both state and national medians for this field, giving UNI grads a manageable 0.71 debt-to-earnings ratio at graduation. This is a field where graduates often need graduate school or start in lower-paying public sector roles, so keeping undergraduate debt reasonable matters. For context, some Iowa programs like Luther College show dramatically lower starting earnings, making UNI's combination of moderate debt and decent early earnings look sensible.

The catch? With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, a few high or low earners could skew the picture significantly. Still, if your child is committed to political science and looking at accessible public universities, UNI appears to offer a practical path—neither a goldmine nor a financial trap, but a program that keeps debt modest while delivering earnings that grow meaningfully over time.