Bachelor's · Chicago, Illinois
Is Political Science and Government at Loyola University Chicago worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 7.9 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $47,453
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $68,139
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $21,500
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $154k (likely $154k – $154k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $29k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in IL
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.9 years (likely 6.9–9.5)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$84k (likely −$143k – −$32k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $276k (likely $127k – $413k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 72%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Political Science and Government at other schools
⚖️ Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward law, government & society majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP U.S. Government and Politics
- AP U.S. History
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
IB Higher Level
- History HL
- Global Politics HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Loyola University Chicago
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$154,544
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$150,553
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$142,305
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Graduate certificate)$130,041
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$129,044
- Computer Engineering (Master's)$126,090
- Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's)$123,695
- Law (First professional)$122,384
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$118,017
- Statistics (Master's)$111,280
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral)$104,629
- Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)$103,884
Political Science and Government at other schools in Illinois
- University of Chicago$87,869
- Northwestern University$73,231
- Benedictine University$71,749
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$69,515
- Roosevelt University$68,226
- Lake Forest College$61,770
- Eastern Illinois University$61,519
- Northeastern Illinois University$60,545
- University of Illinois Chicago$60,020
- Illinois State University$59,571