Bachelor's · Waterville, Maine
Is Political Science and Government at Colby College 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 fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 2.6 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $67,607
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $103,783
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $15,750
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $84k (likely $84k – $91k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $64k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in ME
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 2.6 years (likely 2.1–3.4)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $336k (likely $192k – $503k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $1.09M (likely $772k – $1.48M)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 87%
- 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
Other majors at Colby College
- Economics (Bachelor's)$103,491
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$102,172
- Psychology, General (Bachelor's)$72,365
- Area Studies (Bachelor's)$64,207
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's)$55,719
- Biology, General (Bachelor's)$52,410
- International/Globalization Studies (Bachelor's)$49,050
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's)$47,241
Political Science and Government at other schools in Maine
- Bowdoin College$89,253
- Bates College$80,714
- University of Southern Maine$65,836
- University of Maine$58,303