2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate
124
Ranked Colleges
654
Degrees Awarded
$70,516
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 654 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 124 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.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate”.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree political science students.
Top 29 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 21 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Harvard University
Out of the 124 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Stanford
Out of the 124 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Chicago
Out of the 124 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #4 spot on the list. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Princeton University
Out of the 124 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #5 spot on the list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Duke
Yale University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Yale Political Science & Government Report
Georgetown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Georgetown University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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 Georgetown University
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 1.7% 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%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Columbia
Claremont Graduate University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. Claremont Graduate University is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Claremont Graduate University
University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Political Science & Government Report
Northwestern University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 11 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Northwestern University Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #11, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 11 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 more about Political Science & Government at The Graduate Center
University of Notre Dame landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Notre Dame
With a ranking of #14, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 10 students 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 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report
Howard University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Howard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Howard Political Science & Government Report
Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. Emory University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 10 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 93%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Emory Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #14, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at IU Bloomington
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 96%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 10 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Madison
With a ranking of #14, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 10 doctorate’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.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of North Texas
Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 9 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at MIT
With a ranking of #21, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Michigan State University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 8 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Michigan State
With a ranking of #23, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Cornell
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s political science students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at CU - Boulder
University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #23. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 full report on Political Science & Government at UF
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 8 doctorate’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 full report on Political Science & Government at U-M
Syracuse University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. Syracuse, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 8 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 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Syracuse Political Science & Government Report
George Washington University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 GWU
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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