Program Analysis
Starting salaries of $28,678/yr fall 22% below the $36,684 national median for Political Science and Government. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The 17.4x 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 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The $23,402 debt-to-$28,678 income ratio translates to about 10 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.
Ranked #233 out of 521 programs, State University of New York at Oswego's Political Science and Government offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth from $28,678 to $60,021 over five years (109% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.