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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in California

72 Ranked Colleges
5,949 Degrees Awarded
$38,500 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 47,549 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across California, there were 8,360 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,949 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California” ranking analyzed 72 colleges that offered a degree in political science. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in political science.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in California

1
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Scripps College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science at Scripps

2
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at Claremont McKenna

3
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Occidental College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California. Oxy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Political Science at Oxy

4
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Out of the 72 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #4 spot on the list. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Political Science at Pomona College

5
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pitzer College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. Pitzer is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Pitzer College Political Science Report

6

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 690 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Political Science at UCLA

7

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 92 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at University of California - Merced

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 315 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Santa Barbara

9
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Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California ranking. Whittier is a private not-for-profit institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Whittier

10
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at SCU

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 496 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Berkeley

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 248 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of California - Riverside

13

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 395 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UCSD

14

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 196 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science at UC Santa Cruz

15
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Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #15, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science at Loyola Marymount University

16
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Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Westmont College Political Science Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 349 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UC Irvine

18
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Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. Orange, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Chapman University

19

University of California - Davis landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 274 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of California - Davis Political Science Report

20
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California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

With a ranking of #20, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. Thousand Oaks, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at California Lutheran University

21

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Channel Islands

22

California State University - San Marcos ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. California State University - San Marcos is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - San Marcos

23
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University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California ranking. University of San Diego is a medium-sized school located in San Diego, California that handed out 63 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at USD

24

Saint Mary’s College of California ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. Saint Mary’s College of California is a small school located in Moraga, California that handed out 25 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Saint Mary’s College of California Political Science Report

25
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Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SSU Political Science Report

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