Bachelor's-3% vs national median741 grads tracked
Political Science and Government at University of Illinois Chicago
Ranked 117th of 322 bachelor's programs in Political Science and Government by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$36,284
middle 50%: $25,997 – $47,091
Median · 5 years out
$60,479
middle 50%: $44,148 – $81,591
Median · 10 years out
$84,043
middle 50%: $61,189 – $115,056
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Political Science and Government (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Political Science graduates from the University of Illinois Chicago earn $36k in year one. Median salaries reach $84k by the tenth year.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
7.2 yrs
≈ $8,598 total interest
Same major at other universities
North Carolina State University
$60,990 · 5 yrs out
Radford University
$60,720 · 5 yrs out
Texas Southern University
$60,590 · 5 yrs out
University of South Carolina - Columbia
$60,543 · 5 yrs out
Liberty University
$60,495 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at San Antonio
$60,491 · 5 yrs out
Truman State University
$60,425 · 5 yrs out
Western Connecticut State University
$60,013 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Oneonta
$60,013 · 5 yrs out
Oregon State University
$59,944 · 5 yrs out
Texas State University
$59,942 · 5 yrs out
Colorado Mesa University
$59,848 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Illinois Chicago
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$203,383 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$155,322 · 5 yrs out
Medicine (Doctorate)
$152,674 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$149,199 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$146,852 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$143,939 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctorate)
$139,846 · 5 yrs out
Dentistry (Doctorate)
$135,535 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$133,429 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$123,770 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$117,024 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$115,930 · 5 yrs out