How much debt do Cal State Dominguez Hills political science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $10,268, which ranks the lowest of 42 political science bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $109 a month over 10 years.

Is a political science degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 40% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 65%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several California programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Cal State Dominguez Hills Political Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Cal State Dominguez Hills political science graduates stay in California?

Most do. 93% (40 of 43) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Political Science and Government
Public university
Carson, CA
About 36 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Cal State Dominguez Hills political science graduates earn less than graduates of most political science programs nationally, $25,837 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $10,268 in federal loans, less than at 99% of political science programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the California median of $35,211.

First-year earnings$25,8375th percentile of 504 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$71,822178% more than year one

Median federal debt$10,268The lowest of 42 California programs

Debt-to-earnings40%California median 50%, national 65%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all political science bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Cal State Dominguez Hills	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,837	$35,211	$35,484
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$71,822	$67,807	$61,481
Median federal debt at graduation	$10,268	$17,068	$23,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	40%	50%	65%
Programs compared		44	504

Five years out, Cal State Dominguez Hills graduates earn more than the national figure and about $4,015 more than the California median.

Debt and first-year pay at every California political science program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

Cal State Dominguez HillsOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 178% between the first and fifth year.

Cal State Dominguez Hills grads, year 1$25,837

Cal State Dominguez Hills grads, year 5$71,822

All California political science grads, year 5$67,807

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $109 a month, or 5.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

93% of graduates (40 of 43) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $25,837 salary here buys what about $22,751 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to political science, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$101,370

Median pay in California. 99,230 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $64,600Top 10%: $132,600

Social Science Research Assistants

$60,250

Median pay in California. 5,300 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $38,060Top 10%: $117,070

Economists

$119,410

Median pay in California. 860 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $74,030Top 10%: $207,380

Political Scientists

$142,080

Median pay nationwide. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

About Cal State Dominguez Hills

In-state tuition and fees	$7,449 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$20,049 / year
Average net price after aid	$8,615 / year
Admission rate	93%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	43%
Undergraduate students	12,538

Political Science ranks 24th of 25 bachelor's programs at Cal State Dominguez Hills by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($110,626), Other Business ($61,114), and Computer and Information Science ($49,916).

Other political science bachelor's programs near Carson

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · public		$25,837	$10,268
Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	10 mi	$32,168	$14,928
USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	11 mi	$38,063	$12,869
Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	12 mi	$31,033	$22,146
Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	15 mi	$29,818	$10,614
UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	18 mi	$34,392	$15,000
Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	18 mi	$45,175	$25,700
Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	21 mi	$31,711	$15,000
Chapman UniversityOrange, CA · private nonprofit	24 mi	$35,124	$20,741

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,837 one year after graduating and $71,822 five years after. The median across political science bachelor's programs in California is $35,211.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the political science program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Political Science bachelor's programs in California, ranked44 programs by pay and debt Political Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked504 programs by pay and debt All Cal State Dominguez Hills programs, ranked25 programs by pay and debt