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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Political Science & Government

1,309 Ranked Colleges
49,282 Degrees Awarded
$36,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Political Science Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Political Science Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 49,282 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Political Science Major” ranking, we looked at 1,309 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular political science and government programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Political Science Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Political Science Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for political science students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 713 diplomas to qualified ’s political science 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCLA Political Science & Government Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Political Science Major. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 537 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Political Science Major. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 513 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Florida State Political Science & Government Report

4
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Washington University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Political Science Major. GWU is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 506 ’s political science degrees to qualified 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at George Washington University

5

Out of the 1,309 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 469 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 more about Political Science & Government at UCSD

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 447 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full UW - Madison Political Science & Government Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 423 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Political Science & Government Report

8

With a ranking of #8, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 442 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at ASU - Tempe

9

University of Central Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 381 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UCF

10

University of California - Irvine ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 361 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Irvine

11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 360 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UNC Chapel Hill

12
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major ranking. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 407 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 University of Florida Political Science & Government Report

13

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #13. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 345 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 & Government at FIU

14

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 335 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 full report on Political Science & Government at The University of Texas at Austin

15

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 330 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 95%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UMCP

16

University of California - Davis ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 328 ’s political science 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Davis Political Science & Government Report

16

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 328 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Political Science & Government Report

18
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #18, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 306 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Georgetown

19

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major ranking. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 305 students 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 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%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Political Science & Government Report

20

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 285 ’s political science degrees 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at U-M

21

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 282 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UCR Political Science & Government Report

22

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 296 ’s 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Columbia

22

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 277 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Ohio State University - Main Campus

24

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 259 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at UMN Twin Cities

25

University of Colorado Boulder ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 258 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Colorado Boulder

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Political Science Major

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

26
27
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
28
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York
29
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
30
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
30
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
32
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
33
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
34
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
34
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
36
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
37
37
39
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
40
41
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
42
42
44
44
46
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
46
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
48
49
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
50
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Political Science Major

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

RankCollegeLocation
51University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
52University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
53The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
54Santa Monica CollegeSanta Monica, CA
55Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
56Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
57University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
58Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
58William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
60Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
61Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
62California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
63Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
64Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
65North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
RankCollegeLocation
66San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
67University of DelawareNewark, DE
68Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
68University of North TexasDenton, TX
70Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
71University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
71Boston UniversityBoston, MA
73Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
74Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
74University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
76University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
77Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
77Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
79Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
79University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
81Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
81Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
83Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
84Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
84Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
84Queens CollegeQueens, NY
87University of ChicagoChicago, IL
88United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD
89University of IowaIowa City, IA
89Duke UniversityDurham, NC
RankCollegeLocation
91Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
92Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
93San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
93California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
95Howard UniversityWashington, DC
95James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
97University of KentuckyLexington, KY
98Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
99University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
99Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
99University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
102Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
103Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
104Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
104Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
106Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
106Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
108Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
109Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
110University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
110Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ
112Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
113University of KansasLawrence, KS
114University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
114University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
RankCollegeLocation
114College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
117Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
117Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
119University of VermontBurlington, VT
120Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
121Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
122Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH
123California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
123Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
123DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
123Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
123John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY
128University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
128Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME
128University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD
128University of MississippiUniversity, MS
128University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
133Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
133University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
135Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
136American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV
137University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
137California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
139Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
139San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
RankCollegeLocation
141Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
141University of California - MercedMerced, CA
143California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
143Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
145College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
146Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
146California State University - ChicoChico, CA
148University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
148Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
150Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
151University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI
151The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
151Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA
154The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
154Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
154West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
154Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC
158University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
158California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
160St John’s University - New YorkQueens, NY
160Elon UniversityElon, NC
160University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
160University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
164University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
165University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
RankCollegeLocation
165Furman UniversityGreenville, SC
167University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO
167University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
167University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
170University of Washington - Bothell CampusBothell, WA
170Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
172Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
172Davidson CollegeDavidson, NC
174Towson UniversityTowson, MD
174Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
176Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
177Trinity CollegeHartford, CT
177East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
177Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
180Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
180University of MemphisMemphis, TN
182The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
183University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
183Rutgers University - NewarkNewark, NJ
183The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
183University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
183Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
183Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA
189University of Puerto Rico - Rio PiedrasSan Juan, PR
190Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
RankCollegeLocation
190University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
190Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA
190Chapman UniversityOrange, CA
194Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
195Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
195St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY
197Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL

Notes and References

References

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