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Political Science and Government at Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
58 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
59
Optimistic
58
Base Case
54
Pessimistic
Earnings $39,220/yr (7% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (50% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (182,300 openings/yr)
ROI 15.7x earnings multiple (5.4x out-of-state)
Ranked #60 of 521 Political Science and Government programs Top 25%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Political Science and Government graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $588K $577K $526K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 16.0x 15.7x 14.3x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 5.5x 5.4x 4.9x
Probability of Field Employment 50% 44% 33%
DegreeOutlook Score 59 58 54

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$36,768
Out-of-state: $107,084 (5.4x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$58,860
-60% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$14,385
4.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$61,390
57% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Central Washington University's Political Science and Government graduates start at $39,220/yr — above the $36,684 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 15.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 50% task exposure — and the 11% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $14,385 in median debt clears quickly against $39,220 in annual earnings.

Ranked #60 out of 521 programs, Central Washington University's Political Science and Government program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Earnings growth from $39,220 to $61,390 over five years (57% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

About Central Washington University

A 90% acceptance rate means Central Washington University is accessible to most applicants, enrolling 8,081 students in Ellensburg, WA.

See all programs and financial aid at Central Washington University →

Top Career Paths

Political scientists $139,380/yr
Managers, all other $136,550/yr
Economics teachers, postsecondary $119,980/yr
View all 7 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 521 schools offering Political Science and Government →

Political Science and Government at Other Schools

Dartmouth College ($72,618) Tufts University ($67,713) University of Pennsylvania ($65,473) Princeton University ($63,317) University of Maryland Global Campus ($62,476) Harvard University ($61,543) Amherst College ($61,125) Columbia University in the City of New York ($61,077)

Other Majors at Central Washington University

Construction Management ($81,666) Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods ($81,377) Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians ($77,500) Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians ($65,871) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($56,049) Accounting and Related Services ($55,215) Computer Science ($52,362) Economics ($52,129)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Political Science and Government trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Central Washington University's Political Science and Government program score?
This program scores 58/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Political Science and Government graduates.
How vulnerable is Political Science and Government to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Political Science and Government 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.
Why does Central Washington University rank so high for Political Science and Government?
The #60 ranking out of 521 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →