How much debt do UT Arlington political science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,406, which ranks 9th lowest of 26 political science bachelor's programs in Texas. That works out to about $216 a month over 10 years.

Is a political science degree from UT Arlington worth it?

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

Do UT Arlington political science graduates stay in Texas?

Most do. 90% (54 of 60) were working in Texas one year after graduating.

UT Arlington Political Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Political Science and Government
Public university
Arlington, TX
About 53 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UT Arlington political science graduates earn less than graduates of most political science programs nationally, $31,550 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $20,406 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,500. Several Texas programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$31,55025th percentile of 504 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$59,89890% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,4069th lowest of 26 Texas programs

Debt-to-earnings65%Texas median 66%, national 65%

How it compares

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

	UT Arlington	Texas	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$31,550	$34,415	$35,484
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$59,898	$57,886	$61,481
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,406	$21,600	$23,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	65%	66%	65%
Programs compared		27	504

Five years out, UT Arlington graduates earn about the national figure and about $2,012 more than the Texas median.

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

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

UT ArlingtonOther Texas 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 90% between the first and fifth year.

UT Arlington grads, year 1$31,550

UT Arlington grads, year 5$59,898

All Texas political science grads, year 5$57,886

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 $216 a month, or 8.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (53 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–39%
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

90% of graduates (54 of 60) were working in Texas one year after graduating. Prices in the Dallas area are about 3% above the national average, so a $31,550 salary here buys what about $30,604 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

$63,590

Median pay in Texas. 111,660 people work in this job in Texas. 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%: $50,410Top 10%: $78,020

Social Science Research Assistants

$58,070

Median pay in Texas. 1,180 people work in this job in Texas. 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%: $38,120Top 10%: $108,730

Economists

$121,420

Median pay in Texas. 560 people work in this job in Texas. 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%: $66,760Top 10%: $219,140

Political Scientists

$114,050

Median pay in Texas. 160 people work in this job in Texas. 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%: $87,530Top 10%: $139,010

About UT Arlington

In-state tuition and fees	$11,950 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$29,582 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,951 / year
Admission rate	80%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	54%
Undergraduate students	32,294

Political Science ranks 39th of 48 bachelor's programs at UT Arlington by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($85,513), Computer Science ($84,759), and Computer Engineering ($81,226).

Other political science bachelor's programs near Arlington

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UT ArlingtonArlington, TX · public		$31,550	$20,406
University of DallasIrving, TX · private nonprofit	14 mi	$41,639	$21,500
TCUFort Worth, TX · private nonprofit	15 mi	$50,627	$25,000
SMUDallas, TX · private nonprofit	21 mi	$52,160	$20,500
UT DallasRichardson, TX · public	27 mi	$34,429	$23,000
UNTDenton, TX · public	33 mi	$34,195	$17,750
Texas Woman's UniversityDenton, TX · public	34 mi	$39,272	$30,162

Common questions

The median graduate earns $31,550 one year after graduating and $59,898 five years after. The median across political science bachelor's programs in Texas is $34,415.

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 Texas 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 Texas, ranked27 programs by pay and debt Political Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked504 programs by pay and debt All UT Arlington programs, ranked48 programs by pay and debt