How much debt do University of Puget Sound political science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,801, which ranks 9th lowest of 12 political science bachelor's programs in Washington. That works out to about $242 a month over 10 years.

Is a political science degree from University of Puget Sound worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 73% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 65%. Compare the cost with other Washington programs before deciding.

University of Puget Sound Political Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do University of Puget Sound political science graduates stay in Washington?

Many leave. 31% (28 of 91) were working in Washington one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Political Science and Government
Private nonprofit university
Tacoma, WA
About 46 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Puget Sound political science graduates earn less than graduates of most political science programs nationally, $31,290 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $22,801 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,500. Several Washington programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$31,29025th percentile of 504 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$57,45184% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,8019th lowest of 12 Washington programs

Debt-to-earnings73%Washington median 59%, national 65%

How it compares

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

	University of Puget Sound	Washington	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$31,290	$36,197	$35,484
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$57,451	$61,086	$61,481
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,801	$20,931	$23,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	73%	59%	65%
Programs compared		12	504

Five years out, University of Puget Sound graduates earn less than the national figure and about $3,635 less than the Washington median.

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

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

University of Puget SoundOther Washington 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 84% between the first and fifth year.

University of Puget Sound grads, year 1$31,290

University of Puget Sound grads, year 5$57,451

All Washington political science grads, year 5$61,086

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 $27,000 against $20,125.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$40,185Median debt $27,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$29,517Median debt $20,125

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $242 a month, or 9.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (55 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	40–59%
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.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

31% of graduates (28 of 91) were working in Washington one year after graduating. Prices in the Seattle area are about 11% above the national average, so a $31,290 salary here buys what about $28,155 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

$102,670

Median pay in Washington. 14,880 people work in this job in Washington. 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%: $62,950Top 10%: $128,410

Social Science Research Assistants

$50,420

Median pay in Washington. 450 people work in this job in Washington. 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%: $45,530Top 10%: $75,720

Economists

$109,300

Median pay in Washington. 450 people work in this job in Washington. 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%: $80,320Top 10%: $167,960

Political Scientists

$147,060

Median pay in Washington. 110 people work in this job in Washington. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $81,310Top 10%: $214,960

About University of Puget Sound

Tuition and fees	$62,898 / year
Average net price after aid	$38,394 / year
Admission rate	72%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	68%
Undergraduate students	1,594

Political Science ranks 6th of 27 bachelor's programs at University of Puget Sound by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($66,055), Business Administration ($49,106), and Economics ($48,153).

Other political science bachelor's programs near Tacoma

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA · private nonprofit		$31,290	$22,801
Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WA · private nonprofit	8 mi	$41,518	$20,250
Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA · private nonprofit	25 mi	$41,474	$20,449
Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, WA · private nonprofit	27 mi	$32,288	$26,775
University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · public	28 mi	$41,246	$14,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $31,290 one year after graduating and $57,451 five years after. The median across political science bachelor's programs in Washington is $36,197.

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 Washington 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 Washington, ranked12 programs by pay and debt Political Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked504 programs by pay and debt All University of Puget Sound programs, ranked27 programs by pay and debt