Bachelor's · Bakersfield, California
Is Political Science and Government at California State University-Bakersfield worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 3.5 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $35,905
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $55,728
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- Not enough borrowers to report
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $17k (likely $17k – $23k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $16k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 3.5 years (likely 2.3–5.9)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$53k (likely −$137k – $35k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $161k (likely −$17k – $357k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 48%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Political Science and Government at other schools
⚖️ Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward law, government & society majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP U.S. Government and Politics
- AP U.S. History
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
IB Higher Level
- History HL
- Global Politics HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at California State University-Bakersfield
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$120,351
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$102,298
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$97,998
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$93,797
- Education, General (Master's)$92,010
- Engineering Science (Bachelor's)$88,948
- Social Work (Master's)$86,527
- Public Administration (Master's)$85,123
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy (Bachelor's)$82,315
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's)$82,248
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$80,432
- Economics (Bachelor's)$78,029
Political Science and Government at other schools in California
- Santa Clara University$93,518
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$81,843
- Pepperdine University$75,954
- University of California-Berkeley$75,128
- University of Southern California$75,090
- University of California-Los Angeles$74,202
- Claremont McKenna College$73,826
- Northeastern University Oakland$73,539
- Occidental College$72,441
- Loyola Marymount University$72,375