Political Science and Government programs in California
118 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. The Department of Education publishes earnings for none of them, so the figures below are what the occupation itself pays.
What this work pays in California
Managers, All Other in California earn a median of $174,560 a year across 99,580 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in California |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $101,370 | 99,230 |
| Social Science Research Assistants | $60,250 | 5,300 |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $124,890 | 1,060 |
| Economists | $119,410 | 860 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $137,360 | 770 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allan Hancock College Santa Maria | Associate's degree | — | not published | 16 |
| American River College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 31 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Bakersfield College Bakersfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 62 |
| Barstow Community College Barstow | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Berkeley City College Berkeley | Associate's degree | — | not published | 14 |
| Butte College Oroville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Cabrillo College Aptos | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Cabrillo College Aptos | Associate's degree | — | not published | 29 |
| Canada College Redwood City | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Cerritos College Norwalk | Associate's degree | — | not published | 19 |
| Cerro Coso Community College Ridgecrest | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Chabot College Hayward | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 30 |
| Citrus College Glendora | Associate's degree | — | not published | 24 |
| City College of San Francisco San Francisco | Associate's degree | — | not published | 17 |
| Clovis Community College Fresno | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Clovis Community College Fresno | Associate's degree | — | not published | 14 |
| Coalinga College Coalinga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Coastline Community College Fountain Valley | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| College of Alameda Alameda | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| College of Alameda Alameda | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| College of Marin Kentfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 11 |
| College of San Mateo San Mateo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 16 |
| College of the Canyons Santa Clarita | Associate's degree | — | not published | 39 |
| College of the Desert Palm Desert | Associate's degree | — | not published | 25 |
| College of the Redwoods Eureka | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| College of the Sequoias Visalia | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Columbia College Sonora | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Compton College Compton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Contra Costa College San Pablo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Copper Mountain Community College Joshua Tree | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Cosumnes River College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Crafton Hills College Yucaipa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Cuesta College San Luis Obispo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 17 |
| Cuyamaca College El Cajon | Associate's degree | — | not published | 15 |
| Cypress College Cypress | Associate's degree | — | not published | 16 |
| De Anza College Cupertino | Associate's degree | — | not published | 31 |
| Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill | Associate's degree | — | not published | 53 |
| East Los Angeles College Monterey Park | Associate's degree | — | not published | 31 |
| El Camino Community College District Torrance | Associate's degree | — | not published | 56 |
| Feather River Community College District Quincy | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Folsom Lake College Folsom | Associate's degree | — | not published | 25 |
| Foothill College Los Altos Hills | Associate's degree | — | not published | 16 |
| Fresno City College Fresno | Associate's degree | — | not published | 15 |
| Fullerton College Fullerton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 39 |
| Gavilan College Gilroy | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Glendale Community College Glendale | Associate's degree | — | not published | 39 |
| Golden West College Huntington Beach | Associate's degree | — | not published | 25 |
| Grossmont College El Cajon | Associate's degree | — | not published | 20 |
| Hartnell College Salinas | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
| Imperial Valley College Imperial | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Irvine Valley College Irvine | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Laney College Oakland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Las Positas College Livermore | Associate's degree | — | not published | 23 |
| Lemoore College Lemoore | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Long Beach City College Long Beach | Associate's degree | — | not published | 39 |
| Los Angeles City College Los Angeles | Associate's degree | — | not published | 13 |
| Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar | Associate's degree | — | not published | 21 |
| Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills | Associate's degree | — | not published | 36 |
| Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen | Associate's degree | — | not published | 28 |
| Los Medanos College Pittsburg | Associate's degree | — | not published | 12 |
| Madera Community College Madera | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Mendocino College Ukiah | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Merced College Merced | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| MiraCosta College Oceanside | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Mission College Santa Clara | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Modesto Junior College Modesto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 26 |
| Monterey Peninsula College Monterey | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Moorpark College Moorpark | Associate's degree | — | not published | 28 |
| Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Mt San Antonio College Walnut | Associate's degree | — | not published | 40 |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 16 |
| Napa Valley College Napa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Norco College Norco | Associate's degree | — | not published | 11 |
| Ohlone College Fremont | Associate's degree | — | not published | 14 |
| Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 35 |
| Oxnard College Oxnard | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Palomar College San Marcos | Associate's degree | — | not published | 13 |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena | Associate's degree | — | not published | 34 |
| Porterville College Porterville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 10 |
| Reedley College Reedley | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Rio Hondo College Whittier | Associate's degree | — | not published | 26 |
| Riverside City College Riverside | Associate's degree | — | not published | 23 |
| Sacramento City College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 36 |
| Saddleback College Mission Viejo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 58 |
| San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| San Diego City College San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| San Diego City College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 12 |
| San Diego Mesa College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 26 |
| San Diego Miramar College San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| San Diego Miramar College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| San Joaquin Delta College Stockton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 10 |
| San Jose City College San Jose | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Associate's degree | — | not published | 26 |
| Santa Monica College Santa Monica | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 40 |
| Santa Monica College Santa Monica | Associate's degree | — | not published | 137 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 25 |
| Santiago Canyon College Orange | Associate's degree | — | not published | 17 |
| Shasta College Redding | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Sierra College Rocklin | Associate's degree | — | not published | 28 |
| Skyline College San Bruno | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Solano Community College Fairfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 12 |
| Southwestern College Chula Vista | Associate's degree | — | not published | 29 |
| Ventura College Ventura | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Victor Valley College Victorville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Victor Valley College Victorville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| West Los Angeles College Culver City | Associate's degree | — | not published | 11 |
| West Valley College Saratoga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 23 |
| Woodland Community College Woodland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Yuba College Marysville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Political Science and Government — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.