Bachelor's+13% vs national median1,868 grads tracked
Political Science and Government at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ranked 26th of 322 bachelor's programs in Political Science and Government by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$41,225
middle 50%: $27,666 – $55,731
Median · 5 years out
$70,611
middle 50%: $51,504 – $95,880
Median · 10 years out
$101,469
middle 50%: $73,290 – $149,550
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 at the University of Illinois earn $41k in year one. Earnings jump to $71k after five years and exceed $101k after ten years.
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
6.3 yrs
≈ $7,416 total interest
Same major at other universities
CUNY Queens College
$71,812 · 5 yrs out
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$71,633 · 5 yrs out
Wheaton College
$71,605 · 5 yrs out
Butler University
$71,441 · 5 yrs out
Texas A&M University
$71,194 · 5 yrs out
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
$71,124 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
$69,765 · 5 yrs out
James Madison University
$69,761 · 5 yrs out
Sacred Heart University
$69,618 · 5 yrs out
Utah Valley University
$69,325 · 5 yrs out
Furman University
$69,206 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
$68,987 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$226,077 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$206,093 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$177,207 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$176,681 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$173,815 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)
$164,239 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$159,201 · 5 yrs out
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)
$152,834 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$151,479 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Doctorate)
$126,011 · 5 yrs out
Legal Professions and Studies (Doctorate)
$125,106 · 5 yrs out
Law (Doctorate)
$125,106 · 5 yrs out