Political Scienceat Occidental College
Graduates earn $45,175/yr in their first year — about 23.0% above the national Political Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $543K; scenarios range from $500K to $549K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Occidental College
Graduates earn $45,175/yr, edging above the $36,684 national average for Political Science — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.
The financial case is thin at 2.1x — decade earnings barely exceed the cost of attendance. The value proposition here is driven by factors beyond pure ROI.
Some AI exposure exists in Political Science's typical career paths, with 50% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 9% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $25,700 represents roughly 7 months of the $45,175 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #399 of 521 Political Science programs, Occidental College falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $45,175 to $57,825 over five years — a 28% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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 Occidental 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 Occidental College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Occidental College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Occidental 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 Occidental College
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Political Science at Occidental College?
A score of 39/100 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 $500,433 in decade earnings vs $549,407 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.