2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate
119
Ranked Colleges
639
Degrees Awarded
$34,200
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate” 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.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 639 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 119 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in political science.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate”.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree poly sci students.
Top 29 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 21 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Full Harvard University Political Science Report
Out of the 119 schools in the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Full Stanford University Political Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Chicago
Out of the 119 schools in the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #4 spot on the list. Princeton University is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 17 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Princeton University Political Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 15 doctorate’s poly sci 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Duke Political Science Report
With a ranking of #6, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Political Science at Yale University
With a ranking of #7, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Georgetown is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 13 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at Georgetown
With a ranking of #7, Claremont Graduate University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Claremont Graduate University
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Columbia
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Political Science at UC Berkeley
Northwestern University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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. 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.
Full Northwestern Political Science Report
The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. 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.
Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Political Science Report
University of Notre Dame landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 11 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Notre Dame
With a ranking of #14, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Emory Political Science Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Political Science Report
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 10 doctorate’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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCLA Political Science Report
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at IU Bloomington
Howard University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Howard University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 10 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read more about Political Science at Howard
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s poly sci 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of North Texas landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
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 UNT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #21, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full UW Seattle Political Science Report
University of Florida ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 97%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Florida
Michigan State University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 91%.
Full Michigan State University Political Science Report
University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full CU - Boulder Political Science Report
Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #23. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science at Cornell
Syracuse University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. Syracuse is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Full Syracuse University Political Science Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #23. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
George Washington University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Poly Sci Major for a Doctorate ranking. George Washington University is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 8 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science at GWU
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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