Political Scienceat Franklin and Marshall College
Graduates earn $45,928/yr in their first year — about 25.0% above the national Political Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $625K; scenarios range from $563K to $643K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Franklin and Marshall College
First-year earnings of $45,928 put Franklin and Marshall College's Political Science program 25% above the national median of $36,684 — one of the higher-earning programs in this field.
An earnings multiple of 2.3x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.
AI risk is moderate — 50% task exposure — and the 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $45,928 far exceeding the $19,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
At #321 out of 521 programs, Franklin and Marshall College's financial outcomes for Political Science trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth from $45,928 to $71,360 over five years (55% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Franklin and Marshall College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Political Science
How Franklin and Marshall College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Franklin and Marshall College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Franklin and Marshall College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Political Science offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Political Science trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Political Science at Franklin and Marshall College
How does Franklin and Marshall College's Political Science program score?
This program scores 44/100 — 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.