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Social Sciences · Political Science Rank #241 of 521

Political Scienceat Middlebury College

Graduates earn $59,026/yr in their first year — about 61.0% above the national Political Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $574K; scenarios range from $524K to $585K depending on AI disruption.

Middlebury, VT Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
48 AVERAGE
49
Optimistic
43
Pessimistic
Earnings
$59,026
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.3x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$574K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
56% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Middlebury College

A Middlebury Political Science degree, backed by the college's elite liberal arts reputation, opens significant doors despite its rural setting. Your strong analytical, research, and communication skills are highly valued by employers across diverse sectors, explaining why graduates often outperform national averages. This isn't due to the Vermont job market, but rather the powerful alumni network and the perceived quality of a Middlebury education, which funnels graduates into competitive roles in major urban centers like Washington D.C., New York, and Boston, spanning government, consulting, finance, and policy analysis.

While the "Very High" AI risk for political science might seem concerning, it primarily signals an evolution in the field, not obsolescence. Many traditional research and data-heavy tasks will be augmented by AI, shifting the demand towards complex problem-solving, ethical reasoning, and nuanced human interaction—skills a Middlebury liberal arts education excels at developing. To future-proof your career, actively pursue internships that involve direct stakeholder engagement, strategic communication, or data-driven policy recommendations, ensuring you build skills that complement rather than compete with AI.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$524K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple2.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$574K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple2.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$585K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple2.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Middlebury College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Political Science graduates typically work

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.

1
Political scientists
-3.1% 10-yr growth · 500 openings/yr
$139,380/yr
Moderate
2
Managers, all other
+4.5% 10-yr growth · 106,700 openings/yr
$136,550/yr
Moderate
3
Economics teachers, postsecondary
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$119,980/yr
Moderate
4
Economists
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$115,440/yr
High
5
Political science teachers, postsecondary
+2.0% 10-yr growth · 1,600 openings/yr
$94,680/yr
Moderate
6
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
-1.6% 10-yr growth · 66,200 openings/yr
$64,580/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Political Science

How Middlebury College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Dartmouth College
NH · Private nonprofit
62
DW Score
$73K
1-yr earn
2.8x
ROI
Tufts University
MA · Private nonprofit
53
DW Score
$68K
1-yr earn
1.8x
ROI
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
63
DW Score
$65K
1-yr earn
3.2x
ROI
Princeton University
NJ · Private nonprofit
60
DW Score
$63K
1-yr earn
2.9x
ROI
Top score
University of Maryland Global Campus
MD · Public
72
DW Score
$62K
1-yr earn
21.0x
ROI
Also at Middlebury College

Other top programs at Middlebury College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Middlebury 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 →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Political Science at Middlebury College

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Political Science at Middlebury College?

A score of 48/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Political Science. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Political Science careers?

With 50% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $524,065 in decade earnings vs $584,934 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Is Middlebury College a hidden gem for Political Science?

After financial aid, the average student pays $103,736 over four years — 60% below the $261,120 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.