Blacksburg, Virginia · Public
Political Science and Government at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Read the reported program-share signal, school-wide price, and outcome proxy before comparing peer schools in this field. The enrollment proxy is about 609 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
Program snapshot
2% reported share makes this a focused program signal in federal data.
This major
- Program signal
- 2.0%
- Enrollment proxy
- ~609
- Schools with reported signal
- 1,174
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 54.8%
- Graduation rate
- 86.2%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $24,953/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $99,812
- Median debt
- $21,500
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $81,698/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- B
College Scorecard reports school-wide earnings and price, not per-major outcomes for individual colleges. Program share is a concentration signal, not a promise of department quality. Use it as a proxy, then verify department-level outcomes with the school.
Value among peer schools
Compared with 1,174 schools that report this field.
This page treats cost and earnings as school-wide context, not department-level outcomes. The reported share is above the national average concentration; the school-wide net price is higher than the peer average ($5,359 above), and ten-year median earnings are higher than the peer average ($24,741 above). That combination produces a B value grade and a top 41% ROI position within this field set.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below also report a positive program-share signal and are sorted by value grade.
College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA · 1.6% reported share · $536 net A+ Skyline College San Bruno, CA · 0.6% reported share · $1,738 net A+ Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA · 0.2% reported share · $1,115 net A+ 
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY · 1.2% reported share · $3,033 net A+ 
Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA · 0.3% reported share · $2,090 net A+ 
Hartnell College Salinas, CA · 0.4% reported share · $2,039 net A+ CUNY Hunter College New York, NY · 1.9% reported share · $2,984 net A+ Questions about this program
How big is the program signal?
Political Science and Government accounts for 2% of reported programs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which is bigger than 73% of schools in this field set and above the national average concentration. The enrollment proxy is about 609 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
How should I read the cost number?
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's average net price is $24,953 per year, about $99,812 over four years. That is $5,359 above the $19,594 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $81,698 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $24,741 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 program share, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify ranks Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University #487 of 1,174 schools in this field set by school-wide ROI proxy.