Washington, District of Columbia · Private Non-Profit
Political Science and Government at American University
Use this school-and-field page as a fit screen, not a department ranking. It combines the 5.5% share of reported awards or completions in this field with $41,943 school-wide net price and $77,370 school-wide ten-year earnings before you compare peer schools.
Program snapshot
5.5% of reported awards or completions are in this field, a moderate award concentration in federal data.
This major
- Award concentration
- 5.5% of awards
- Schools reporting awards
- 1,174
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 62%
- Graduation rate
- 75.5%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $41,943/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $167,772
- Median debt
- $22,750
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $77,370/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- D
The percentage is the share of this school's reported awards or completions attributed to the field. It is not the share of enrolled students, a student headcount, or proof of department quality. College Scorecard price and earnings on this page are school-wide, not major-specific. Verify current credentials and department outcomes with the school.
Evidence used here: federal awards/completions share (5.5%), school-wide average net price ($41,943), school-wide ten-year median earnings ($77,370), and peer averages from 1,174 schools reporting awards in this field. Evidence not included: program enrollment, department-level salary, placement rate, course quality, licensure eligibility, certification, or exam pass-rate outcomes.
School-level value among reporting colleges
Compared with 1,174 colleges reporting awards in this field.
The answer is a school-level value-screen grade of D, not a verified department verdict. Award concentration is 3.0x the national average award concentration; school-wide net price is higher than the peer average ($22,349 above), and school-wide ten-year median earnings are higher than the peer average ($20,413 above). Together, those school-level evidence points place American University in the top 94% of this value ranking among colleges reporting awards in the field.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below report awards in the same field and are sorted by school-level value grade.
College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA · 1.6% of reported awards · $536 net A+ Skyline College San Bruno, CA · 0.6% of reported awards · $1,738 net A+ Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA · 0.2% of reported awards · $1,115 net A+ 
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY · 1.2% of reported awards · $3,033 net A+ 
Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA · 0.3% of reported awards · $2,090 net A+ 
Hartnell College Salinas, CA · 0.4% of reported awards · $2,039 net A+ CUNY Hunter College New York, NY · 1.9% of reported awards · $2,984 net A+ Questions about this program
What does the share of awards mean?
Political Science and Government accounts for 5.5% of the awards or completions reported for American University. That award concentration is higher than at 94% of schools in this field set and is 3.0x the national average award concentration. It does not estimate how many students are currently enrolled in the program.
How should I read the cost number?
American University's average net price is $41,943 per year, about $167,772 over four years. That is $22,349 above the $19,594 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $77,370 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $20,413 above the $56,957 average among schools reporting this field, so treat it as an outcomes proxy rather than a department guarantee.
What should I compare next?
Start with award concentration, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify places American University #1,099 of 1,174 on its school-level value rank among colleges reporting awards in this field.