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Political Science and Government at California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
54 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
54
Optimistic
54
Base Case
52
Pessimistic
Earnings $31,711/yr (-14% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (50% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (182,300 openings/yr)
ROI 21.6x earnings multiple (8.1x out-of-state)
Ranked #106 of 521 Political Science and Government programs Top 25%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Political Science and Government graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $627K $612K $552K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 22.2x 21.6x 19.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.3x 8.1x 7.3x
Probability of Field Employment 50% 44% 33%
DegreeOutlook Score 54 54 52

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$28,292
Out-of-state: $75,812 (8.1x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$22,584
20% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$14,869
5.6 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$62,338
97% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $31,711 track close to the $36,684 national median for Political Science and Government programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 21.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 50% task exposure — and the 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $14,869 in median debt against $31,711 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #106 out of 521 programs, California State University-Fullerton's Political Science and Government program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Earnings growth from $31,711 to $62,338 over five years (97% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

About California State University-Fullerton

California State University-Fullerton has a 87% acceptance rate, making it broadly accessible, with 36,956 students enrolled in Fullerton, CA. With 47% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum.

See all programs and financial aid at California State University-Fullerton →

Top Career Paths

Political scientists $139,380/yr
Managers, all other $136,550/yr
Economics teachers, postsecondary $119,980/yr
View all 7 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 521 schools offering Political Science and Government →

Political Science and Government at Other Schools

Dartmouth College ($72,618) Tufts University ($67,713) University of Pennsylvania ($65,473) Princeton University ($63,317) University of Maryland Global Campus ($62,476) Harvard University ($61,543) Amherst College ($61,125) Columbia University in the City of New York ($61,077)

Other Majors at California State University-Fullerton

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($103,028) Civil Engineering ($72,606) Mechanical Engineering ($65,252) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($63,468) Computer Science ($57,307) Computer Engineering ($55,093) Information Science/Studies ($49,897) Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods ($49,830)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Political Science and Government trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does California State University-Fullerton's Political Science and Government program score?
This program scores 54/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Political Science and Government graduates.
How vulnerable is Political Science and Government to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Political Science and Government careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why does California State University-Fullerton rank so high for Political Science and Government?
The #106 ranking out of 521 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →