How much debt do Central Connecticut State political science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $18,689, which ranks 2nd lowest of 10 political science bachelor's programs in Connecticut. That works out to about $198 a month over 10 years.

Is a political science degree from Central Connecticut State worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 74% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 65%. Compare the cost with other Connecticut programs before deciding.

Central Connecticut State Political Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Central Connecticut State political science graduates stay in Connecticut?

Most do. 83% (25 of 30) were working in Connecticut one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Political Science and Government
Public university
New Britain, CT
About 29 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Central Connecticut State political science graduates earn less than graduates of most political science programs nationally, $25,270 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $18,689 in federal loans, less than at 83% of political science programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Connecticut median of $37,718.

First-year earnings$25,2705th percentile of 504 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$53,907113% more than year one

Median federal debt$18,6892nd lowest of 10 Connecticut programs

Debt-to-earnings74%Connecticut median 67%, national 65%

How it compares

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

	Central Connecticut State	Connecticut	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,270	$37,718	$35,484
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$53,907	$76,871	$61,481
Median federal debt at graduation	$18,689	$25,000	$23,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	74%	67%	65%
Programs compared		10	504

Five years out, Central Connecticut State graduates earn less than the national figure and about $22,964 less than the Connecticut median. Several Connecticut programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

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

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

Central Connecticut StateOther Connecticut 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 113% between the first and fifth year.

Central Connecticut State grads, year 1$25,270

Central Connecticut State grads, year 5$53,907

All Connecticut political science grads, year 5$76,871

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 $198 a month, or 9.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

83% of graduates (25 of 30) were working in Connecticut one year after graduating. Prices in the Hartford area are about 3% above the national average, so a $25,270 salary here buys what about $24,595 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

$80,970

Median pay in Connecticut. 14,800 people work in this job in Connecticut. 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%: $51,710Top 10%: $113,610

Social Science Research Assistants

$60,110

Median pay in Connecticut. 50 people work in this job in Connecticut. 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%: $35,860Top 10%: $88,270

Economists

$101,400

Median pay in Connecticut. 210 people work in this job in Connecticut. 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%: $74,740Top 10%: $166,060

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 Central Connecticut State

In-state tuition and fees	$13,050 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$16,550 / year
Average net price after aid	$16,857 / year
Admission rate	73%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	48%
Undergraduate students	7,822

Political Science ranks 33rd of 33 bachelor's programs at Central Connecticut State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($83,012), Industrial Technology ($74,889), and Mechanical Engineering ($74,676).

Other political science bachelor's programs near New Britain

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Central Connecticut StateNew Britain, CT · public		$25,270	$18,689
Trinity CollegeHartford, CT · private nonprofit	5 mi	$42,979	$25,000
University of HartfordWest Hartford, CT · private nonprofit	8 mi	$35,492	$27,000
Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT · private nonprofit	20 mi	$26,440	$27,000
Southern Connecticut StateNew Haven, CT · public	27 mi	$41,383	$26,499
Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · private nonprofit	28 mi	$57,466	$15,000
UConnStorrs, CT · public	28 mi	$37,009	$22,375
Westfield StateWestfield, MA · public	30 mi	$36,577	$24,783
Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA · private nonprofit	40 mi	$48,690	$21,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,270 one year after graduating and $53,907 five years after. The median across political science bachelor's programs in Connecticut is $37,718.

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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut, ranked10 programs by pay and debt Political Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked504 programs by pay and debt All Central Connecticut State programs, ranked33 programs by pay and debt