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2024 Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts

26 Colleges in Massachusetts
1,951 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$41,118 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in political science & government, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #20 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 26 schools in Massachusetts to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of political science & government. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,951 degrees in political science & government during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts Your choice of political science & government school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Political Science & Government 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.

Political Science & Government Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Political Science
Master's Degrees in Political Science
Doctor's Degrees in Political Science

The political science 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 & Government Schools in Massachusetts. 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 & Government in Massachusetts

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 political science degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Massachusetts Schools in Political Science

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
191 Political Science Degrees Awarded
17.8% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Harvard University if you want to pursue a degree in political science & government. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 191 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Harvard University get an earnings boost of approximately $17,690 above the typical earnings of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Harvard University

2
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
173 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,951 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in political science & government has to take a look at Boston College. Boston College is a large private not-for-profit college located in the city of Chestnut Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #60 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 173 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Boston College receive an earnings boost of approximately $4,833 over the average earnings of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Boston College

3
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Political Science Degrees Awarded
32.8% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Amherst College if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. Amherst is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Amherst. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Amherst is a great college overall.

There were approximately 61 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Amherst in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Amherst College make $10,301 more than the standard political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Amherst College

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Political Science Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Boston University if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were roughly 169 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, political science degree recipients typically make around $39,106 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Boston University

5
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Political Science Degrees Awarded
39.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #68 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Williams is a great college overall.

There were roughly 63 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Williams in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Williams College earn $6,869 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Williams College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Political Science Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Northeastern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #59 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 150 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Northeastern University get an earnings boost of about $4,120 above the average income of political science & government graduates.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Northeastern University

7
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$44,879 Median Starting Salary

Tufts is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Medford. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Tufts is a great university overall.

There were approximately 71 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Tufts University earn $3,761 more than the average political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Tufts University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
195 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$35,030 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #81 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMass Amherst is a great university overall.

There were roughly 195 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make about $35,030 for their early career.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Massachusetts Amherst

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Political Science Degrees Awarded
15.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #99 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Brandeis is a great university overall.

There were roughly 65 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program state that they receive average early career wages of $42,983.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Brandeis University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
110 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$44,436 Median Starting Salary

Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Worcester. A Best Colleges rank of #159 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Holy Cross is a great college overall.

There were about 110 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Holy Cross in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from College of the Holy Cross receive $3,318 more than the standard political science student.

More information about a degree in political science & government from College of the Holy Cross

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Political Science & Government Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Connecticut241802
New Hampshire210398
Maine202345
Rhode Island200324
Vermont194227

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Political Science & Government has other similar majors worth exploring.

Political Science Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Political Science1,816
Other Political Science & Government98
American Government & Politics (United States)34
Political Economy3

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Economics3,307
International Relations & National Security1,112
Sociology999
Anthropology301
General Social Sciences285
Other Social Sciences177
Geography & Cartography142
Urban Studies56
Archeology24
Sociology & Anthropology21

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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