Political Science and Government at Wilmington University

A debt-to-earnings ratio near 0.7 might look manageable at first glance, but peer programs nationally suggest political science graduates start around $36,000—barely above poverty wages in Delaware's Newark-Wilmington corridor. With estimated debt at $24,625, that translates to monthly payments that could eat 10-15% of take-home pay for a decade. The only Delaware school with reported outcomes (University of Delaware, at $31,972) actually shows lower starting salaries, which raises questions about whether the national benchmark is optimistic for local markets.

The concerning reality is that political science bachelor's degrees rarely lead directly to careers that justify even moderate debt loads. Most graduates need either graduate school, unpaid internships, or years of low-paid "experience building" before reaching sustainable incomes. At a quarter of the student body on Pell grants, Wilmington is serving students who can least afford extended periods of underemployment. The estimated figures here come from national peer programs, meaning this specific program could perform better or worse—but Delaware's small political sector and the one comparable datapoint we have aren't encouraging signals.

Unless your child has specific graduate school plans (which means more debt) or family connections in law, government, or advocacy that open doors others can't access, this represents a risky investment. Programs producing $36,000 earners rarely deliver return-on-investment for students carrying loans.