Political Scienceat Saint Mary's College of California
Graduates earn $45,296/yr in their first year — about 23.0% above the national Political Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $604K; scenarios range from $546K to $618K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Saint Mary's College of California
Graduates earn $45,296/yr, edging above the $36,684 national average for Political Science — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.
An earnings multiple of 2.7x 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.
The $25,000 debt-to-$45,296 income ratio translates to about 7 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.
At #298 out of 521 programs, Saint Mary's College of California's financial outcomes for Political Science trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $45,296 to $67,807 shows 50% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable 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 Saint Mary's College of California'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 Saint Mary's College of California stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Saint Mary's College of California
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Saint Mary's College of California, 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 Saint Mary's College of California
How does Saint Mary's College of California's Political Science program score?
This program scores 45/100 — 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.