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2024 Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region

85 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
5,552 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Political Science is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #13 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 85 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 5,552 degrees in political science to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Political Science School

Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region The poly sci program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Political Science rankings. For our Best Overall Political Science School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Political Science Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Poly Sci
Master's Degrees in Poly Sci
Doctor's Degrees in Poly Sci

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Political Science in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the poly sci degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

12 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Poly Sci

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL
131 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in political science needs to take a look at University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 131 political science students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL
125 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Northwestern University is a good option for students interested in a degree in political science. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 125 political science students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
190 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

University of Notre Dame is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in political science. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were roughly 190 political science students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Notre Dame

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WI
374 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

University of Wisconsin - Madison is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in political science. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 374 political science students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Wisconsin - Madison

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI
254 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 254 political science students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
266 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 266 political science students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
289 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 289 political science students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Ohio State University - Main Campus

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN
132 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were about 132 political science students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Purdue University - Main Campus

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In OH
184 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the town of Oxford. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 184 political science students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Miami University - Oxford

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
17th Most Popular In OH

Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Cleveland. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Case Western is a great university overall.

There were approximately 26 political science students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Case Western Reserve University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MI
139 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 139 political science students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Michigan State University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IN
108 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 108 political science students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Indiana University - Bloomington

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Political Science students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

RankCollegeLocation
13DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
14Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
15Denison UniversityGranville, OH
16Kenyon CollegeGambier, OH
17Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
18University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
19University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
20Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, IN
21Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH

Best Political Science Colleges by State

Explore the best political science schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Ohio9391,401
Michigan9151,021
Illinois8701,470
Indiana737794
Wisconsin672924

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Political Science & Government area of study, Political Science has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Poly Sci

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Other Political Science & Government103
American Government & Politics (United States)16
Political Economy13

View All Poly Sci Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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