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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in California

72 Ranked Colleges
6,117 Degrees Awarded
$32,933 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor's

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

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 California, there were 8,530 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,769 and $19,462 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,117 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 72 colleges that offered a degree in political science and government. To top this list, a school must have a successful political science and government program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 690 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full University of California - Los Angeles Political Science & Government Report

2

Out of the 72 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 496 bachelors’s 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 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%.

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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 453 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full UCSD Political Science & Government Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 349 students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UC Irvine Political Science & Government Report

5

Out of the 72 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 323 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Davis

6

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 315 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 UCSB Political Science & Government Report

7

University of California - Riverside landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 274 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 University of California - Riverside Political Science & Government Report

8

California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 202 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at CSUN

9

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 196 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Santa Cruz

10

California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 194 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Long Beach

11

California State University - Sacramento ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 156 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Sac State

12
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 155 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SDSU

13
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 150 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 USC

14

California State University - Fullerton ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 122 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Fullerton

15
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at San Francisco State University

16
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 SCU Political Science & Government Report

17

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 96 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science 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 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%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Political Science & Government Report

18
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 95 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 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 & Government at San Jose State University

19

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 93 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%.

Full Cal State LA Political Science & Government Report

19

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 93 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 87%. 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%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Political Science & Government Report

21

University of California - Merced came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Merced

22
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Loyola Marymount

23

California State University - San Marcos came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Political Science & Government Report

24

California State University - Chico came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 83 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Chico

25
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chapman is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Chapman University

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