Social sciences
What can you do with a Politics degree?
Quick answer
A Politics degree commonly leads to roles such as parliamentary assistant, public affairs assistant and policy officer (entry). Five years after graduating, Politics graduates had median earnings of £37,000 (middle half: £28,900–£49,400), and 86% were in sustained work or further study (DfE LEO, 2023–24 tax year). The largest employer sector for Politics graduates is public administration and defence (18.1% of those in work).
Politics degrees cover institutions, ideas, and policy processes. Graduates often start in parliamentary, public-affairs, and research support roles. Official figures appear when an extract is loaded.
- Median pay after 1 year
- £26,000
- Median pay after 5 years
- £37,000
- In work or study after 5 years
- 86%
- Earnings rank at 5 years
- 48 of 146 subjects
- Top employer sector
- Public administration and defence
- Graduates in latest cohort
- 5,670
On this page
What jobs can you get with a Politics degree?
Graduates commonly start as parliamentary assistant, public affairs assistant, policy officer (entry) or local government officer (entry). Politics also builds skills that employers outside the obvious routes ask for, so many graduates move into roles that do not name the subject at all.
Parliamentary assistant
Supports an MP or peer with constituency casework, events, and research notes.
Skills these adverts often ask for
- casework logs
- diary
- briefings
Public affairs assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- monitoring
- stakeholder lists
- event logistics
Policy officer (entry)
Skills these adverts often ask for
- consultation drafts
- evidence tables
- minutes
Local government officer (entry)
Skills these adverts often ask for
- committee papers
- service stats
- public queries
Role examples and skills are CourseToJob editorial guidance, not a guarantee of a job. Pay for individual roles varies by employer and location; we do not attach a salary to a role unless an official source publishes one.
Where do Politics graduates work?
Five years after graduating, the largest employer sectors for Politics graduates in UK employment were public administration and defence (18.1%), professional, scientific and technical services (18%) and education (9.9%). One year after graduating, the most common sector was professional, scientific and technical services (15.3%).
| Industry sector | Share of graduates in work | Median earnings in that sector |
|---|---|---|
| Public administration and defence | 18.1% | £38,100 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 18% | £43,900 |
| Education | 9.9% | £32,600 |
| Information and communication | 9.9% | £42,800 |
| Finance and insurance | 9.1% | £52,700 |
| Administrative and support services | 7.2% | £35,500 |
| Health and social work | 6.6% | £31,100 |
| Wholesale and retail | 5.8% | £31,800 |
Most common specific industries
- Administration of the State and the economic and social policy of the community — 10.9% of graduates in work, median £39,200
- Provision of services to the community as a whole — 6.2% of graduates in work, median £37,300
- Management consultancy activities — 6% of graduates in work, median £45,400
- Computer programming; consultancy and related activities — 4.4% of graduates in work, median £49,400
- Primary education — 3.6% of graduates in work, median £33,300
- Monetary intermediation — 3.1% of graduates in work, median £56,000
How much do Politics graduates earn?
Official dataPolitics graduates had median earnings of £26,000 one year after graduating and £37,000 five years after graduating in the 2023–24 tax year. The median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at five years.
| Years after graduating | Median earnings | Middle half earned | In work or further study | All-subject median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year after graduatingGraduated 2021/2022 | £26,000DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £20,500–£31,800 | 87.2% | £26,400 |
| 3 years after graduatingGraduated 2019/2020 | £31,800DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £25,600–£39,200 | 86.3% | £30,000 |
| 5 years after graduatingGraduated 2017/2018 | £37,000DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £28,900–£49,400 | 86% | £33,700 |
| 10 years after graduatingGraduated 2012/2013 | £47,200DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £32,900–£70,300 | 82.4% | — |
How one-year earnings have changed
Which universities have the highest-earning Politics graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 Politics graduates measured, University of Oxford had the highest median earnings five years after graduating (£55,600), followed by University of Bath (£52,700) and University of Warwick (£52,700).
| University | Median earnings | Graduates measured |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oxford | £55,600 | 65 |
| University of Bath | £52,700 | 100 |
| University of Warwick | £52,700 | 125 |
| University of Bristol | £51,600 | 120 |
| Durham University | £49,800 | 120 |
| London School of Economics | £48,700 | 85 |
| University of Nottingham | £45,800 | 215 |
| University of Exeter | £45,400 | 260 |
| University of St Andrews | £45,400 | 75 |
| Loughborough University | £43,900 | 105 |
Is Politics the right degree for you?
EditorialYou may enjoy it if
- You want to understand how decisions are actually made.
- You like comparing institutions rather than only campaigning.
- You can write a briefing that a busy person will finish.
It may not suit you if
- You wanted a course that is only activism.
- You dislike reading legislation and committee reports.
- You expected an automatic Civil Service place.
Interview questions for Politics graduate roles
EditorialParliamentary, policy and public-affairs assistant interviews usually test discretion, briefing, and whether you understand process. These prompts are editorial illustrations.
You have 90 minutes to brief someone before a meeting. What is on page one?
What it tests. The decision, the politics, and the unanswered question — not a literature review.
A journalist calls for a quote you do not have authority to give. What do you say?
What it tests. You take a message; you do not freelance a line.
Two briefings on your desk contradict each other. How do you proceed?
What it tests. Checking dates, authors, and flagging the clash rather than picking a team.
How would you log casework so a colleague could pick it up tomorrow?
What it tests. Notes that are factual, timely, and usable.
Why might a written parliamentary question need a different tone from a social post?
What it tests. Register and audience, which junior public-affairs work lives on.
Most Politics courses do not use a standard admissions interview. If a university invites you, it will say so — see UCAS on undergraduate interview invitations.
Illustrative question types for the roles above, not questions from a named employer.
Find Politics graduate jobs
Searched by the entry-level roles aboveSearch UK vacancies connected to politics. These are role matches, not guaranteed graduate-level jobs: read the experience, qualifications and work-permission requirements in each full advert.
Salary filters and ordering use the provider’s data, which can include estimates. Cards below show employer-listed pay only. Cached searches can be up to 30 minutes old; the employer’s advert confirms availability.
Checking vacancies for Parliamentary assistant…
Prepare your application with graduate cv examples, student cv examples, the free CV builder and the application tracker.
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Planning to study Politics in the UK?
Check the exact programme, entry requirements and total cost before applying. International applicants should also confirm qualification equivalence, English-language evidence and visa requirements.
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Universities for Politics in our index
127 universitiesAn editorial provision index, not a live UCAS catalogue: confirm current courses on UCAS. CourseToJob is not UCAS.Open Politics in the full university explorer.
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Politics degree: frequently asked questions
What jobs can you do with a Politics degree?
Common starting roles include parliamentary assistant, public affairs assistant, policy officer (entry) and local government officer (entry). Five years after graduating, the most common sectors for Politics graduates in work were public administration and defence (18.1%), professional, scientific and technical services (18%) and education (9.9%). These are examples, not guaranteed jobs: your experience, location and further training matter.
How much do Politics graduates earn in the UK?
DfE Longitudinal Education Outcomes data for the 2023–24 tax year shows median earnings for UK-domiciled Politics graduates of £26,000 one year after graduating, £31,800 three years after graduating, £37,000 five years after graduating and £47,200 ten years after graduating. Each figure describes a different graduating cohort, not one person's pay rise, and it is gross pay for those in sustained employment, not a starting salary offer.
Is a Politics degree worth it?
It depends on what you want to do. On the official data, 86% of Politics graduates were in sustained employment or further study five years after graduating, with median earnings of £37,000. For comparison, the median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at the same point. That places Politics 48 of 146 subject groups by five-year median earnings. Earnings are only one factor: enjoyment of the subject, accreditation and the route into your target job matter too.
Which universities have the highest-earning Politics graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 graduates measured, the highest five-year median earnings for Politics were at University of Oxford (£55,600), University of Bath (£52,700) and University of Warwick (£52,700). These figures reflect entry grades, subject mix and where graduates work, so they are not a measure of teaching quality.
Can international students study Politics in the UK?
Yes, most UK universities accept international applicants, but entry requirements, recognised qualifications, English-language evidence and overseas tuition fees depend on the university and programme. Check the university course page and international admissions team, then check visa requirements on GOV.UK.
Skilled Worker visas
Sponsorship depends on the job's occupation code and the current Skilled Worker rules, not on a subject's median pay. A Skilled Worker decision uses the higher of the general threshold and the SOC going rate. Subject LEO medians are not sufficient. Read the Skilled Worker job rules on GOV.UK.