by our College Data Analytics Team
[Political Science And Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a political science and government degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 21 schools to find where political science and government graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send political science and government graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Knox College earned the #1 spot for highest-paid political science and government graduates in Illinois. Located in the town of Galesburg, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,368.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Chicago one of the highest-paying schools for political science and government. University Of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,531.
A rank of #3 makes Northwestern University one of the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $76,128.
Students chasing top earnings in political science and government will find them at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. Political Science And Government graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of about $74,311 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #5 makes Loyola University Chicago one of the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, political science and government degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago typically earn about $68,766 annually.
Depaul University placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Depaul University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. After graduating, political science and government degree recipients from Depaul University typically earn about $63,180 annually.
University Of Illinois At Chicago landed the #7 spot for political science and government salaries this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a public institution. Political Science And Government graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of about $57,896 a year early in their careers.
Augustana College Illinois placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Set in the city of Rock Island, Augustana College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution. Political Science And Government graduates of Augustana College Illinois earn a median of about $60,666 a year early in their careers.
Illinois State University placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Illinois State University is a public school located in the suburb of Normal. Political Science And Government graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of about $62,313 a year early in their careers.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying political science and government schools. Set in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career political science and government graduates from Wheaton College Illinois make a median of around $45,069 per year.
Northern Illinois University landed the #11 spot for political science and government salaries this year. Northern Illinois University is a public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. Early-career political science and government graduates from Northern Illinois University make a median of around $60,494 per year.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #12 for political science and government graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution. Political Science And Government graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of about $61,148 a year early in their careers.
Lake Forest College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying political science and government schools. Located in the suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,287.
Bradley University ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying political science and government schools. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria. Political Science And Government graduates of Bradley University earn a median of about $58,690 a year early in their careers.
Eastern Illinois University placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Eastern Illinois University is a public school located in the town of Charleston. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,716.
Roosevelt University landed the #16 spot for political science and government salaries this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career political science and government graduates from Roosevelt University make a median of around $36,521 per year.
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #17 spot for political science and government salaries this year. Northeastern Illinois University is a public school located in the city of Chicago. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,738.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale placed #18 among the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public school located in the town of Carbondale. Early-career political science and government graduates from Southern Illinois University Carbondale make a median of around $50,172 per year.
Western Illinois University placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Western Illinois University is a public school located in the town of Macomb. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,581.
Monmouth College came in at #20 for political science and government graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Monmouth, Monmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, political science and government degree recipients from Monmouth College typically earn about $32,103 annually.
Saint Xavier University placed #21 among the highest-paying schools for political science and government. Saint Xavier University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Early-career political science and government graduates from Saint Xavier University make a median of around $25,828 per year.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries political science and government graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 21 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.