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2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California

177 Ranked Colleges
8,530 Degrees Awarded
$34,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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” ranking.

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.

Across California, there were 8,530 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,769 and $19,462 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California” ranking, we looked at 177 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in political science and government.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for california 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 in California list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 713 ’s political science degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

2

Out of the 177 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 full report on Political Science & Government at UC Berkeley

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 469 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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

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 list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 361 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

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

Full University of California - Irvine Political Science & Government Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 328 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Political Science & Government Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 328 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at UCSB

7

University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 282 ’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 2.3% 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 University of California - Riverside

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full California State University - Northridge Political Science & Government Report

9

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 201 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 more about Political Science & Government at UC Santa Cruz

10

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 200 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at CSULB

11
SMC crest
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, California

With a ranking of #11, Santa Monica College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California list. Santa Monica College is located in Santa Monica, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 219 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at SMC

12

California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 167 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 162 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 89%.

Full San Diego State University Political Science & Government Report

14
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at USC

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 ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at San Francisco State University

15

California State University - Fullerton came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 131 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cal State Fullerton Political Science & Government Report

17

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Cal State LA Political Science & Government Report

17
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #17, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California list. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 102 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 Santa Clara University Political Science & Government Report

19

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 96 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Political Science & Government Report

20
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 95 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 more about Political Science & Government at San Jose State

21

University of California - Merced landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 94 ’s political science 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 UC Merced

22

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 93 ’s political science 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

23

California State University - Chico landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 91 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Political Science & Government Report

24
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 90 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%. 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 Loyola Marymount

25
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. 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 University

Rest of the Best 27 in Most Well Attended Political Science Major in California

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

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