Program Analysis
Starting salaries of $31,124/yr fall 15% below the $36,684 national median for Political Science and Government. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The 19.4x 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 10% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The $20,625 debt-to-$31,124 income ratio translates to about 8 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.
Ranked #191 out of 521 programs, University of North Carolina Wilmington's Political Science and Government offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth from $31,124 to $56,406 over five years (81% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.