Bachelor's · Minneapolis, Minnesota
Is Political Science and Government at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ 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 4.7 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $48,050
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $70,341
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $16,896
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $73k (likely $73k – $78k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $29k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in MN
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 4.7 years (likely 4.2–5.6)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $7k (likely −$51k – $53k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $367k (likely $233k – $500k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 85%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 5%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
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 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- Dentistry (First professional)$185,225
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$162,817
- Computer Engineering (Master's)$161,999
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First professional)$146,303
- Computer Science (Master's)$145,488
- Medicine (First professional)$141,568
- Engineering, Other (Master's)$141,008
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (Master's)$139,772
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$138,394
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$128,612
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$125,454
- Applied Mathematics (Master's)$123,369
Political Science and Government at other schools in Minnesota
- College of Saint Benedict$64,777
- Saint Johns University$63,770
- Gustavus Adolphus College$62,218
- University of St Thomas$61,922
- Minnesota State University-Mankato$59,997
- Macalester College$58,555
- University of Minnesota-Duluth$58,256
- St Olaf College$57,869
- Augsburg University$55,676
- Winona State University$55,027