by our College Data Analytics Team
[Political Science And Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their political science and government graduates.
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.
Leading the list is Kansas State University, our #1 for political science and government graduate salaries in Kansas. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a public institution. Students who complete the political science and government program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,168.
University Of Kansas produces some of the highest-paid graduates in political science and government, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a public institution. Early-career political science and government graduates from University Of Kansas make a median of around $67,019 per year.
Fort Hays State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying political science and government schools. Located in the town of Hays, Fort Hays State University is a public institution. Early-career political science and government graduates from Fort Hays State University make a median of around $30,454 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in political science and government will find them at Wichita State University, which ranked #4. Wichita State University is a public school located in the city of Wichita. Early-career political science and government graduates from Wichita State University make a median of around $30,121 per year.
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.