2024 Best Political Science Schools in California
57
Colleges in California
8,360
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Political Science is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #13 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 57 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for political science students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 8,360 degrees in political science to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Political Science School
The poly sci program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Political Science rankings. For our Best Overall Political Science 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.
Pick Your Political Science Degree Level
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 Best Political Science Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
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.
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Featured Political Science Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Political Science
Gain a solid understanding of American political history, the current political landscape, and the major political parties with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Best Schools for Political Science in California
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 poly sci degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in Poly Sci
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
25th
Most Popular In CA
86
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
It is hard to beat Stanford University if you want to pursue a degree in political science. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were approximately 86 political science students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in political science from Stanford University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In CA
537
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in political science. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were approximately 537 political science students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in political science from University of California - Berkeley
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
16th
Most Popular In CA
121
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
University of Southern California is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in political science. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 121 political science students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in political science from University of Southern California
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
713
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Any student who is interested in political science needs to look into University of California - Los Angeles. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were roughly 713 political science students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in political science from University of California - Los Angeles
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
49th
Most Popular In CA
38
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.
There were about 38 political science students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in political science from Claremont McKenna College
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
279
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were roughly 279 political science students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in political science from University of California - Davis
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
409
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were roughly 409 political science students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in political science from University of California - San Diego
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In CA
361
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were about 361 political science students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in political science from University of California - Irvine
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In CA
328
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were about 328 political science students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in political science from University of California - Santa Barbara
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
17th
Most Popular In CA
102
Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.
There were about 102 political science students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in political science from Santa Clara University
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