Political Science · Ohio State University-Main Campus
How much do Ohio State University-Main Campus Political Science graduates earn?
Ohio State University-Main Campus's bachelor's graduates in Political Science earned a median $65,972 four years after graduating, 4% above the $63,293 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $35,977; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $20,000 in federal loans at this college (about $212 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $21,500 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level). The figure is reported for all 6 campuses that share Ohio State University-Main Campus's federal aid ID.
- Median earnings, 4 years after:
- $65,972
- National median, same program:
- $63,293
- Federal debt borrowed at this college (median):
- $20,000
- Monthly payment, 10-year plan:
- $212
Ohio State University-Main Campus, bachelor's in Political Science. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20; total including other colleges attended $21,500. College Scorecard, 10 June 2026.
Quick answers
- What do Political Science graduates of Ohio State University-Main Campus earn?
- Ohio State University-Main Campus's bachelor's graduates in Political Science earned a median $65,972 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How much federal debt do Political Science graduates of Ohio State University-Main Campus have?
- Graduates who borrowed took out a median $20,000 in federal loans at Ohio State University-Main Campus (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20); counting federal loans from every college they attended at the same degree level, their total was $21,500.
- How does Ohio State University-Main Campus compare with the national median for Political Science?
- $65,972 is 4% above the $63,293 national median for bachelor's programs in the same field (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How does Ohio State University-Main Campus compare with other Ohio Political Science programs?
- It is 12% above the $58,885 earned by graduates of the typical Ohio bachelor's program in the field (12 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- Is a Political Science degree from Ohio State University-Main Campus worth it?
- Federal data cannot decide that for you, but it puts the figures side by side: Ohio State University-Main Campus's bachelor's graduates in Political Science earned a median $65,972 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23), and those who borrowed took out a median $20,000 in federal loans there, about $212 a month on a 10-year plan, roughly 4% of the median graduate's monthly earnings before tax (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Political Science at Ohio State University-Main Campus, by credential
One credential level has federal figures. Federal program group: Political Science and Government (CIP 45.10), which includes its related specialties.
| Credential | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | vs national | Debt borrowed at this college | Total debt incl. other colleges | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 532 | $35,977 | $65,972 | +4% | $20,000 | $21,500 | $212/mo |
The one-year and four-year figures describe different graduating classes (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21 and 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23) in different dollars, so the gap between them is not one class's pay growth. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured.
What the two debt figures mean
Federal debt borrowed at this college: the median of the federal loans (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS) that graduates who borrowed took out at this college.
Total federal debt, including other colleges attended: the same graduates' federal loans from every college they attended, counting only loans at the same level as this credential (undergraduate loans for an undergraduate credential, graduate loans for a graduate one).
Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN. Monthly payment is for the debt borrowed at this college. Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation (September 2025), "Cumulative loan debt".
Cite this data
- Statistic
- Ohio State University-Main Campus's bachelor's graduates in Political Science earned a median $65,972 four years after graduating, against a national median of $63,293 for the same program and credential. The figure covers all 6 campuses that share the college's federal aid ID.
- Data period
- Graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19 who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled; earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars (288 graduates measured).
- Source
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data (release of 10 June 2026)
- Page
- https://campuspin.com/schools/ohio-state-university-main-campus/programs/political-science
- Suggested citation
- CampusPin (2026). Ohio State University-Main Campus Political Science: graduate earnings and debt. Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study, 10 June 2026. https://campuspin.com/schools/ohio-state-university-main-campus/programs/political-science
Or paste these figures into your page as a small table (departments, admissions, counselors)
Plain HTML with no script and no tracking: each credential's figure with its period and source, and one link back to this page.
How does Ohio State University-Main Campus compare with other Ohio Political Science programs?
Across the 12 Ohio bachelor's programs in Political Science with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $58,885; Ohio State University-Main Campus's $65,972 is 12% above that.
| College (bachelor's) | Earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami University-Oxford | $75,374 | $46,428 | $25,000 |
| Oberlin College | $70,689 | $30,187 | $23,250 |
| University of Dayton | $68,731 | — | $24,687 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus (this college) | $65,972 | $35,977 | $20,000 |
| Xavier University | $63,347 | $41,710 | $26,000 |
| Ohio University-Main Campus | $58,907 | $38,753 | $22,500 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | $58,863 | $37,360 | $20,359 |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | $58,254 | $37,329 | $23,760 |
| Wright State University-Main Campus | $56,423 | $27,477 | $25,000 |
| Kent State University at Kent | $52,423 | $31,389 | $21,400 |
The 10 highest of 12 Ohio programs, ordered by one federal measure (median earnings four years after graduating), not a ranking of program quality. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed.
Questions about Political Science at Ohio State University-Main Campus
- How much do Ohio State University-Main Campus Political Science graduates earn?
- Ohio State University-Main Campus's bachelor's graduates in Political Science earned a median $65,972 four years after graduating, 4% above the $63,293 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $35,977; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $20,000 in federal loans at this college (about $212 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $21,500 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level). The figure is reported for all 6 campuses that share Ohio State University-Main Campus's federal aid ID.
- How much student debt do Ohio State University-Main Campus Political Science graduates have?
- Ohio State University-Main Campus's bachelor's graduates in Political Science who borrowed took out a median $20,000 in federal loans at Ohio State University-Main Campus, about $212 a month on a standard 10-year plan (graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20, College Scorecard). Counting federal loans from every college they attended at the same degree level, their total was a median $21,500; the difference is loans taken at earlier colleges, which matters most for transfer and RN-to-BSN students. Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN.
- How does Ohio State University-Main Campus's Political Science program compare with others in Ohio?
- Across the 12 Ohio bachelor's programs in Political Science with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $58,885; Ohio State University-Main Campus's $65,972 is 12% above that.
Keep going
- Ohio State University-Main Campus: cost, admissions and every program
- Political Science major guide: what it pays nationally
- Same degree, different paycheck: how much the college matters
- What does Political Science pay at other colleges?
Jobs Political Science graduates often go into
From the Political Sciencemajor guide. Graduates spread across many jobs; these pay figures are for everyone in the job, not for this program's graduates.
Other programs at Ohio State University-Main Campus with graduate earnings
- Animal Science
- Conservation Science
- Architecture
- Urban Planning
- Landscape Architecture
- Communications
- Journalism
- Education
- Special Education
- Aerospace Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Modern Languages
- English & Literature
- Biology
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Mathematics
- Applied Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Social Work
- Anthropology
- Criminology
- Economics
- International Relations
- Sociology
- Theater Arts
- Pharmacy
- Public Health
- Nursing
- Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Hospitality Management
- Human Resource Management
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Real Estate
- History
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. The Department reports these figures for all 6 campuses that share Ohio State University-Main Campus's federal aid ID, not for one campus alone. Earnings reflect who enrolls, where graduates live and the jobs they take, as well as the program itself. Download every program (CSV).
Data sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the Department of Education's College Scorecard field-of-study file, matched to Ohio State University-Main Campus by its federal UNITID.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
Program-level median earnings one and four years after completing, and median federal loan debt at completion, by institution, 4-digit CIP field and credential level.
College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation
How the field-of-study cohorts are built, which graduates are counted, and how small cells are suppressed and perturbed for privacy.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (10 June 2026). Ohio State University-Main Campus Political Science: graduate earnings and debt. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/ohio-state-university-main-campus/programs/political-science