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2024 Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
112 Master's Degrees
$41,758 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your master's degree in political science & government, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #71 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 112 master's degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

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

Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The political science master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

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

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

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

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

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

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The political science 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 the Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in Illinois.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in political science & government.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Political Science

1
12 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in political science & government needs to take a look at Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Northwestern University

2
12 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a master's degree in political science & government. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in political science & government from University of Chicago

3
1 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in political science & government needs to look into Loyola University Chicago. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Loyola University Chicago

3
2 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in political science & government. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a master’s in political science & government from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
8 Annual Graduates

Illinois State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in political science & government. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Illinois State University

5
2 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from University of Illinois at Chicago

5

SIUC is a large public university located in the small city of Carbondale.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

6
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Western Illinois University

7
27 Annual Graduates

UIS is a small public university located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.More information about a master’s in political science & government from University of Illinois at Springfield

8
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Northern Illinois University

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 211 30
Ohio 207 47
Indiana 191 23
Wisconsin 173 29

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One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Political Science & Government has other similar majors worth exploring.

Political Science Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 112

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 259
General Social Sciences 168
International Relations & National Security 66
Sociology 62
Geography & Cartography 32
Anthropology 29
Urban Studies 4
Other Social Sciences 1

Notes and References

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