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2024 Best Political Science Schools in Virginia

19 Colleges in Virginia
1,596 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 19 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,596 degrees in political science during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Political Science School

Best Political Science Schools in Virginia Your choice of political science school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Political Science Rankings by Degree Level

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

The poly sci school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Political Science Schools in Virginia. 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 Virginia

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.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Poly Sci

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In VA
126 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a good choice for students interested in a degree in political science. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 126 political science students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year.

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

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In VA
69 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Washington and Lee University is a great choice for students interested in a degree in political science. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lexington. A Best Colleges rank of #83 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Washington and Lee is a great university overall.

There were roughly 69 political science students who graduated with this degree at Washington and Lee in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Washington and Lee University

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In VA
196 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Virginia Tech is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in political science. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 196 political science students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Virginia Tech

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In VA
142 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat William & Mary if you want to pursue a degree in political science. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 142 political science students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from William & Mary

5
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In VA
127 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 127 political science students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from James Madison University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
24th Most Popular In VA
23.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 13 political science students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from George Mason University

7
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In VA
49 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #282 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means URichmond is a great university overall.

There were roughly 49 political science students who graduated with this degree at URichmond in the most recent year we have data available.

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
208 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

VCU is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 208 political science students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In VA
74 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 74 political science students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Christopher Newport University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In VA

Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize suburb of Salem. This college ranks 24th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 16 political science students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Roanoke College

Best Political Science Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Florida7152,508
North Carolina7101,750
Georgia6901,195
Tennessee624698
South Carolina530768
Kentucky518438
Mississippi501293
Alabama500566
Louisiana489546
Arkansas466297
West Virginia410280

View All Rankings >

Political Science is one of 4 different types of Political Science & Government programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Poly Sci

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Other Political Science & Government210

View All Poly Sci Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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