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2024 Best Political Science Master's Degree Schools in California

16 Colleges in California
163 Master's Degrees
If you pursue a master's degree in political science, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #98 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 16 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 163 master's degrees in political science during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Political Science School for Your Master's Degree

Best Political Science Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of political science for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for political science students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Political Science Master's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Political Science in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in political science.

10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Poly Sci

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in political science has to check out Stanford University. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in political science from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a master's degree in political science. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in political science from University of California - Los Angeles

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
29 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in political science needs to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in political science from University of California - Berkeley

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in political science needs to check out University of California - Irvine. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in political science from University of California - Irvine

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in political science from University of California - San Diego

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Claremont.More information about a master’s in political science from Claremont Graduate University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10 Annual Graduates

UCSB is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a master’s in political science from University of California - Santa Barbara

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

UCR is a fairly large public university located in the city of Riverside.More information about a master’s in political science from University of California - Riverside

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in political science from University of California - Santa Cruz

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in political science from California State University - Long Beach

Best Political Science Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Political Science Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 402 17
Oregon 291 9
Nevada 126 7
Hawaii 110 5

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

Notes and References

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