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

  • Bachelor's in Political Science and Government
  • Public university
  • Glassboro, NJ
  • About 43 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Rowan University political science graduates earn less than graduates of most political science programs nationally, $26,042 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,265 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,500. Several New Jersey programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$26,0426th percentile of 504 programs nationally
Earnings after 5 years$52,619102% more than year one
Median federal debt$24,2654th lowest of 11 New Jersey programs
Debt-to-earnings93%New Jersey median 77%, national 65%

How it compares

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

Five years out, Rowan University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $9,204 less than the New Jersey median. Several New Jersey programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every New Jersey political science program

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

Rowan UniversityOther New Jersey 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 102% between the first and fifth year.

Rowan University grads, year 1$26,042
Rowan University grads, year 5$52,619
All New Jersey political science grads, year 5$61,823

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 $257 a month, or 11.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

94% of graduates (30 of 32) were working in New Jersey one year after graduating. Prices in the Philadelphia area are about 3% above the national average, so a $26,042 salary here buys what about $25,393 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

$82,200

Median pay in New Jersey. 38,140 people work in this job in New Jersey. 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%: $63,040Top 10%: $108,230

Social Science Research Assistants

$62,760

Median pay in New Jersey. 370 people work in this job in New Jersey. 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%: $37,960Top 10%: $105,390

Economists

$167,550

Median pay in New Jersey. 280 people work in this job in New Jersey. 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%: $83,990Top 10%: $195,190

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 Rowan University

Political Science ranks 41st of 42 bachelor's programs at Rowan University by first-year earnings. The top three are Construction Finishing and Inspection ($85,630), Nursing ($84,859), and Electrical Engineering ($79,612).

Other political science bachelor's programs near Glassboro

Common questions

The median graduate earns $26,042 one year after graduating and $52,619 five years after. The median across political science bachelor's programs in New Jersey is $33,031.

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 New Jersey 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

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

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