Home Schools University of Washington-Bothell Campus Political Science
Social Sciences · Political Science Rank #47 of 521

Political Scienceat University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Graduates earn $41,246/yr in their first year — about 12.0% above the national Political Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $617K; scenarios range from $556K to $633K depending on AI disruption.

Bothell, WA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
59 SOLID
60
Optimistic
55
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,246
1-year post-graduation
ROI
12.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$617K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
56% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Washington-Bothell Campus

University of Washington-Bothell Campus's Political Science graduates start at $41,246/yr — above the $36,684 national average, though not by a wide margin.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 12.3x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Political Science programs nationally.

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 12% gap from the optimistic case.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $13,290 in median debt clears quickly against $41,246 in annual earnings.

Ranked #47 of 521 programs, University of Washington-Bothell Campus's Political Science program falls in the top 10%, outperforming most peers on financial outcomes.

Five-year earnings of $68,104 show a 65% jump from the $41,246 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.

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
$556K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple11.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$617K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple12.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$633K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple12.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Washington-Bothell Campus'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 University of Washington-Bothell Campus 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 University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Other top programs at University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Washington-Bothell Campus, 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 University of Washington-Bothell Campus

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Political Science at University of Washington-Bothell Campus?

A score of 59/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Political Science field.

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 $556,190 in decade earnings vs $633,234 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.