Western Washington University Political Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Political Science and Government
- Public university
- Bellingham, WA
- About 90 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Western Washington University political science graduates earn less than graduates of most political science programs nationally, $27,217 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $19,431 in federal loans, less than at 80% of political science programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Washington median of $36,197.
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.
Five years out, Western Washington University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $5,017 less than the Washington median. Several Washington programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.
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.
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 106% between the first and fifth year.
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 $2,854 less in their first year than other graduates. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $206 a month, or 9.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
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, 29 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $33,958.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
80% of graduates (77 of 96) were working in Washington one year after graduating. Prices in the Bellingham area are about 3% above the national average, so a $27,217 salary here buys what about $26,339 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
$102,670Median 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.
Social Science Research Assistants
$50,420Median 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.
Economists
$109,300Median 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.
Political Scientists
$147,060Median 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.
About Western Washington University
Political Science ranks 41st of 52 bachelor's programs at Western Washington University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($80,808), Electrical Engineering ($77,516), and Information Technology ($72,675).
Common questions
The median graduate earns $27,217 one year after graduating and $56,069 five years after. The median across political science bachelor's programs in Washington is $36,197.
The median federal loan balance is $19,431, which ranks 4th lowest of 12 political science bachelor's programs in Washington. That works out to about $206 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 71% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 65%. Compare the cost with other Washington programs before deciding.
Most do. 80% (77 of 96) were working in Washington one year after graduating.
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