How much debt do Clemson University political science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $21,000, which ranks 2nd lowest of 12 political science bachelor's programs in South Carolina. That works out to about $223 a month over 10 years.

Is a political science degree from Clemson University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 75% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 65%. Compare the cost with other South Carolina programs before deciding.

Clemson University Political Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Clemson University political science graduates stay in South Carolina?

Most do. 60% (40 of 67) were working in South Carolina one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Political Science and Government
Public university
Clemson, SC
About 104 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Clemson University political science graduates earn less than graduates of most political science programs nationally, $28,041 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $21,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,500. Several South Carolina programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$28,04112th percentile of 504 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$74,888167% more than year one

Median federal debt$21,0002nd lowest of 12 South Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings75%South Carolina median 78%, national 65%

How it compares

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

	Clemson University	South Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$28,041	$33,782	$35,484
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$74,888	$58,761	$61,481
Median federal debt at graduation	$21,000	$26,825	$23,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	75%	78%	65%
Programs compared		12	504

Five years out, Clemson University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $16,127 more than the South Carolina median.

Debt and first-year pay at every South Carolina political science program

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

Clemson UniversityOther South Carolina 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 167% between the first and fifth year.

Clemson University grads, year 1$28,041

Clemson University grads, year 5$74,888

All South Carolina political science grads, year 5$58,761

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

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $26,856 against $19,500.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$35,606Median debt $26,856

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$25,912Median debt $19,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $223 a month, or 9.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (86 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 28 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $62,995.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

60% of graduates (40 of 67) were working in South Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Greenville area are about 7% below the national average, so a $28,041 salary here buys what about $30,068 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

$62,580

Median pay in South Carolina. 16,080 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $48,740Top 10%: $80,700

Social Science Research Assistants

$64,490

Median pay in South Carolina. 500 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $48,200Top 10%: $130,300

Economists

$124,720

Median pay nationwide. 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.

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 Clemson University

In-state tuition and fees	$15,554 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$40,866 / year
Average net price after aid	$22,253 / year
Admission rate	38%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	87%
Undergraduate students	23,300

Political Science ranks 48th of 50 bachelor's programs at Clemson University by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrical Engineering ($77,925), Computer Engineering ($77,672), and Information Science ($76,549).

Other political science bachelor's programs near Clemson

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public		$28,041	$21,000
Furman UniversityGreenville, SC · private nonprofit	28 mi	$34,473	$27,000
USC UpstateSpartanburg, SC · public	54 mi	$35,798	$30,000
Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC · private nonprofit	55 mi	$34,277	$26,825
Presbyterian CollegeClinton, SC · private nonprofit	57 mi	$34,712	$27,000
University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	59 mi	$39,842	$22,171

Common questions

The median graduate earns $28,041 one year after graduating and $74,888 five years after. The median across political science bachelor's programs in South Carolina is $33,782.

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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina, ranked12 programs by pay and debt Political Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked504 programs by pay and debt All Clemson University programs, ranked50 programs by pay and debt