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2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s

1,083 Ranked Colleges
42,513 Degrees Awarded
$36,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 47,549 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 42,513 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 1,083 colleges that offer a degree in political science. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in political science.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 “Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 690 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Political Science Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 496 bachelors’s poly sci 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 full report on Political Science at UC Berkeley

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 1,083 schools in the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 477 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Political Science at Florida State

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 399 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science at UW - Madison

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 395 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - San Diego Political Science Report

6

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 393 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Arizona State University - Tempe

7

University of Central Florida came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Central Florida is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 371 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Central Florida Political Science Report

8

University of California - Irvine came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 349 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #9, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 336 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Florida Political Science Report

10

Florida International University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 334 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Florida International University

10

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 334 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Political Science Report

12
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 321 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full George Washington University Political Science Report

13

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 319 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 more about Political Science at UW Seattle

13

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 319 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.

Full UMCP Political Science Report

15

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 315 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 more about Political Science at UCSB

15

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 315 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Political Science Report

17

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 297 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Political Science at Texas A&M University - College Station

18

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 274 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Davis

19

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 272 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Political Science Report

20

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 253 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Political Science at Ohio State University - Main Campus

21

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 more about Political Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

21

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 248 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Riverside

21

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 248 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

24

University of Colorado Boulder ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s list. CU - Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 239 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at CU - Boulder

25
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 234 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of Georgia

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
26
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
28
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
29
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
29
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
31
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
32
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
33
34
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
35
36
36
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
38
38
40
41
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York
41
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
41
44
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
45
45
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
47
47
49
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
52Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
53William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
54Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
55North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
55University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
57Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
58Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
59California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
60San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
61Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
62Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
63University of DelawareNewark, DE
63Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
65Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
RankCollegeLocation
66Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
67University of North TexasDenton, TX
68Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
68Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
68Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
71Queens CollegeQueens, NY
72Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
72University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
72University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
72Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
76Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
76United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD
78Boston UniversityBoston, MA
78University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
80Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
80Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
82Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
83University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
83Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
85California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
86University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
86San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
86University of KentuckyLexington, KY
86University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
90Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
RankCollegeLocation
90James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
90University of IowaIowa City, IA
90Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
94Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
95Howard UniversityWashington, DC
95Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
97Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
97Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
99Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
100College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
101University of ChicagoChicago, IL
102Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
102University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
104Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
104University of VermontBurlington, VT
106Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
107Duke UniversityDurham, NC
107University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
107University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
107Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
111Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
112University of KansasLawrence, KS
113John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY
113DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
113Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
RankCollegeLocation
113Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
117Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME
117University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
117University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD
120Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
121Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
121Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
121University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
124California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
124University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
126San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
127University of MississippiUniversity, MS
128California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
128Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
128California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
131College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
131University of California - MercedMerced, CA
133University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
134Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
134Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
136Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
136Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
138The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
138Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA
138University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI
RankCollegeLocation
138Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
142California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
143University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
143University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
143Elon UniversityElon, NC
146California State University - ChicoChico, CA
147Furman UniversityGreenville, SC
147University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
149The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
149University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
149Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
149Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
153Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
153Davidson CollegeDavidson, NC
155University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
155University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
155Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
155Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
155West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
160University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
161Towson UniversityTowson, MD
161Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
163Trinity CollegeHartford, CT
163Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
163East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
RankCollegeLocation

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