undergradly.
Major · Social Sciences

How power works, who holds it, and why that changes

Political Science and Government studies the structure and behavior of political institutions — parties, governments, courts, and the people who navigate them. It draws students interested in law, policy, public service, and how collective decisions get made. About 36,600 degrees are awarded annually across more than 1,200 colleges.

Schools offering
1,259
Annual completions
36,654
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$63k

About this major

Political science as a major is defined by its subject: the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Coursework covers political philosophy and theory, the structure and comparison of governments across countries and historical periods, political parties and interest groups, public opinion and voting behavior, and research methods for studying all of it. The CIP definition explicitly includes instruction in political research methods alongside the more conceptual material, which means the major has a technical dimension — how you produce and evaluate evidence about political phenomena — not just a reading-and-writing dimension.

The major is offered at both the associate's and bachelor's levels, though the career data makes the degree-level distinction meaningful: bachelor's completers show five-year median earnings of about $63,028, compared to roughly $42,969 for associate's completers. Most of the occupations associated with the field require at minimum a bachelor's, and several — political scientist ($139,380 median wage) and postsecondary teaching — require graduate credentials. That layering means the bachelor's functions more as a foundation for further study or for general professional roles than as a direct credential for the named occupations.

Scale-wise, this is a large major: 36,654 completions per year across 1,259 colleges, making it one of the more widely offered social science programs in the country. Career paths for graduates run through government agencies, law (law school is a common next step not captured in the occupations data), nonprofit work, secondary education, social science research, and private-sector roles that value analytical writing and policy-oriented thinking. The field doesn't produce one dominant occupation the way engineering or nursing do — it opens a corridor of options that depend heavily on the additional credentials, skills, and experience graduates accumulate after the degree.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $65k -1.6% Bachelor's degree
Social science research assistants $58k +4.4% Bachelor's degree
Political science teachers, postsecondary $95k +2.0% Doctoral or professional degree
Political scientists $139k -3.1% Master's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$63k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$43k

Bachelor's

$63k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you find yourself drawn to understanding how institutions shape outcomes — why some policies pass and others stall, how different countries organize authority, what drives public opinion and political behavior. You may also fit well here if you're a strong analytical writer who is comfortable building arguments from ambiguous, contested evidence rather than from clear-cut data, and if you're genuinely interested in the legal, historical, or philosophical dimensions of governance alongside the empirical ones. The degree-level data matters if earnings are a primary concern: bachelor's completers earn roughly $20,000 more per year at the five-year mark than associate's completers, and the higher-ceiling careers in the field sit behind graduate credentials.

Think twice if you are expecting the major to point directly at a well-defined, fast-growing occupation — political scientist as a formal title shows a -3.1% projected job decline and is a narrow, competitive field, while secondary teaching shows -1.6% growth. Think twice also if quantitative reasoning is a primary interest; this major is lighter on math than Economics or Econometrics, and students who want to work with data in political or policy contexts often find those adjacent majors offer more methodological depth. And if you are considering this path primarily as a route to law school, that's a valid strategy, but it's worth recognizing that law schools don't require a political science background specifically — the degree is a means, not a prerequisite.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Political Science and Government, General

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 0 687 687
Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 0 463 463
University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 0 394 394
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 0 386 386
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 0 352 352
The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 0 312 312
University of Florida Gainesville, FL 0 300 300
Florida International University Miami, FL 0 299 299
University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 0 285 285
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 0 278 278
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Psychology, General

133,179 completions/yr

Sociology, General

26,513 completions/yr

History, General

22,597 completions/yr

Economics, General

18,920 completions/yr

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics

15,101 completions/yr

Social Sciences, General

14,846 completions/yr

International Relations and Affairs

6,344 completions/yr

Public Policy Analysis, General

1,905 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Political Science and Government, General field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Political Science and Government, General worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Political Science majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework covers political theory and philosophy, comparative government across different countries and systems, research methods, and the behavior of parties, interest groups, and voters. You'll read primary texts, write analytical papers, and work with quantitative and qualitative research. Upper-division courses often let you specialize in American politics, international relations, public administration, or political economy. The curriculum rewards students who can build structured arguments and engage with ambiguous, contested questions rather than problems with a single correct answer.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for Political Science?
For most career destinations associated with this major, a bachelor's is the practical floor. The degree-level earnings split is pronounced: bachelor's completers in this field report a five-year median near $63,028, while associate's completers report about $42,969 — a gap of roughly $20,000. More importantly, the higher-earning occupations in this field — political scientist at $139,380 median and postsecondary teaching — explicitly require graduate credentials beyond a bachelor's. An associate's functions primarily as a transfer pathway to a four-year program, not as a standalone credential for this field.
What kinds of jobs do Political Science graduates end up in?
The careers data spans a wide range. Political scientists earn a $139,380 median wage but the occupation is small, typically requires a master's degree, and shows a -3.1% projected job decline. More common destinations for bachelor's graduates are management roles, secondary school teaching ($64,580 median), and social science research assistant positions ($58,040 median, 4.4% projected growth). Law school is a common next step that isn't captured in these figures. Many graduates end up in government agencies, nonprofits, consulting, and private-sector roles where analytical and writing skills matter more than a specific occupational title.
How competitive is the job market for Political Science graduates?
Mixed. Social science research assistant roles show 4.4% projected growth and general manager positions show 4.5% — both near the average across all occupations. Political scientist as a formal title is declining (-3.1% projected) and is a small, competitive field. Secondary school teaching shows -1.6% projected growth. The honest read: the major doesn't point toward one fast-growing occupation. Graduates who build specific skills — research methods, data fluency, policy writing, a second language — tend to differentiate themselves more effectively than those who rely on the degree title alone. With 36,654 completions per year across 1,259 colleges, the credential is common.
Is Political Science the right fit, or should I look at a related major?
Political Science is the broadest entry point into the study of power and institutions. If your primary interest is in economic policy and quantitative reasoning, Economics General (18,920 completions per year) or Econometrics (15,101) offer more analytical depth. If international careers specifically interest you, International Relations and Affairs (6,344 completions) is more targeted. If you want direct career preparation for public sector work, Public Policy Analysis (1,905 completions) is more applied. Sociology General (26,513 completions) overlaps on research methods and institutional analysis but focuses more on social behavior than governance. The career destinations across all of these majors overlap substantially — the choice is mostly about where you want to focus your coursework.
What's a realistic earnings picture after a Political Science degree?
Five-year median earnings for bachelor's completers sit around $63,028 — lower than STEM fields but in line with social sciences broadly. The spread across occupations is wide: social science research assistants earn $58,040, secondary teachers $64,580, and political scientists $139,380 (though the last requires a master's and is a narrow field). Management roles show a $136,550 median, but those are reached through experience, not directly from the degree. Law school, which many political science graduates pursue, changes the trajectory significantly — but that means an additional three years of cost before the earnings uplift arrives.