by our College Data Analytics Team
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 Political Science Major in Virginia” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.
Across Virginia, there were 1,786 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,500 and $25,463 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,685 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,553 and $27,844 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science and government. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their political science and government program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students.
Out of the 36 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Patrick Henry College landed the #1 spot on the list. Patrick Henry College is located in Purcellville, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
Full Patrick Henry College Political Science & Government Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sweet Briar College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia list. Located in Sweet Briar, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Sweet Briar College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hampden - Sydney College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia. Hampden - Sydney College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. It awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington and Lee University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Washington and Lee Political Science & Government Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school handed out 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, 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%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Christopher Newport University
William & Mary came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
With a ranking of #7, Roanoke College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia list. Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salem, Virginia. It awarded 20 bachelors’s political science 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Roanoke
Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. This small school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Virginia Wesleyan University
Emory and Henry College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. Emory and Henry College is a small school located in Emory, Virginia that handed out 15 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
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 & Government at Emory and Henry College
Randolph - Macon College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #10. Randolph - Macon College is located in Ashland, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Randolph - Macon College
University of Mary Washington came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Richmond landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at URichmond
Hampton University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. This small school is located in Hampton, Virginia, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Hampton
Southern Virginia University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia list. SVU is located in Buena Vista, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Southern Virginia University
Virginia State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #15. Virginia State University is a small school located in Petersburg, Virginia that handed out 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Virginia State
Randolph College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. VCU is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 201 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full Virginia Commonwealth University Political Science & Government Report
Ferrum College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia list. This small school is located in Ferrum, Virginia, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Ferrum College
Norfolk State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia list. Norfolk State University is a public institution located in Norfolk, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Norfolk State University Political Science & Government Report
James Madison University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia list. JMU is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 119 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at James Madison University
Longwood University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. Farmville, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
George Mason University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 207 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Marymount University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking. Marymount University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Arlington, Virginia. It awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Marymount University Political Science & Government Report
Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #24. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 185 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Virginia Tech
Hollins University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major in Virginia list. Hollins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Roanoke, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Hollins University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
