Political Science at Eckerd College

Saint Petersburg, FL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Political Science and Government
32 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
32
Optimistic
32
Base Case
29
Pessimistic
Earnings $34,621/yr (-6% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (50% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (182,300 openings/yr)
ROI 2.7x earnings multiple
Ranked #482 of 521 Political Science and Government programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

Optimistic
No Disruption
Base Case
Gradual AI
Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $540K $534K $494K
Earnings Multiple 2.7x 2.7x 2.5x
Probability of Field Employment 50% 44% 33%
DegreeOutlook Score 32 32 29

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$201,496
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$132,044
34% less than sticker · See by income
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$53,089
53% growth from Year 1

About Eckerd College

Eckerd College accepts 79% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, with a smaller student body of 1,984 in Saint Petersburg, FL. After financial aid, the average student pays $132,044 over four years — 34% below sticker price.

See all programs and financial aid at Eckerd College →

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

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Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

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 Eckerd College's Political Science program score?
This program scores 32/100 — on the lower end for Political Science. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Political Science to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Political Science 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.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →