Political Science and Government: CUNY Lehman College vs Harvard University

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
In-State
18.6x
$29,640 tuition
3.8x
$236,304 tuition
Out-of-State
9.0x
$61,440 tuition
3.8x
$236,304 tuition
$552,093 10-yr earnings · Public
$901,499 10-yr earnings · Private nonprofit

Head-to-Head

CUNY Lehman College Harvard University
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 18.6x 3.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.0x 3.8x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $236,304
Year 1 Earnings $43,059 $61,543
10-Year Earnings $552K $901K
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 62/100 51/100
Acceptance Rate 55.4% 3.5%

Both programs have very high AI automation risk (50% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Political Science and Government graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Political Science and Government graduates.

CUNY Lehman College Harvard University
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $236,304
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $61,440 $236,304
10-Year Projected Earnings $552K $901K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 18.6x 3.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.0x 3.8x
5-Year Salary Growth +37% +91%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Political Science and Government (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

CUNY Lehman College Harvard University
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $560K $552K $507K $955K $901K $770K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 18.9x 18.6x 17.1x 4.0x 3.8x 3.3x
DegreeWorth Score 63 62 57 52 51 45

For the full AI analysis of Political Science and Government career paths, see the CUNY Lehman College or Harvard University program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Political Science and Government graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$206,664
CUNY Lehman College saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$18,484/yr
Harvard University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
18.6x / 3.8x
Out-of-state: 9.0x / 3.8x

Career Paths

Political Science and Government graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Political scientists $139,380 500 -3.1% 48%
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
Economics teachers, postsecondary $119,980 1,200 +2.1% 48%
Economists $115,440 900 +1.2% 61%
Political science teachers, postsecondary $94,680 1,600 +2.0% 48%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580 66,200 -1.6% 33%
Social science research assistants $58,040 5,200 +4.4% 67%
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Political Science and Government: CUNY Lehman College or Harvard University?
CUNY Lehman College scores 62/100 while Harvard University scores 51/100. CUNY Lehman College has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Political Science and Government?
CUNY Lehman College has an in-state earnings multiple of 18.6x vs Harvard University's 3.8x. That means CUNY Lehman College grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $206,664 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do CUNY Lehman College and Harvard University compare on Political Science and Government earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $43,059 at CUNY Lehman College vs $61,543 at Harvard University. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $552,093 vs $901,499 — a difference of $349,406.
How much does Political Science and Government cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $29,640 at CUNY Lehman College and $236,304 at Harvard University. Both programs lead to the same Political Science and Government career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.