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2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government

225 Ranked Colleges
1,936 Degrees Awarded
$50,486 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Master’s” 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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,936 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 225 colleges that offered 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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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 for a Master’s” 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 for a Master’s

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

1
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 #1 for the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 173 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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 more about Political Science & Government at George Washington University

2
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 225 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #2 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 108 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Johns Hopkins

3
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 225 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #3 spot on the list. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 58 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full Harvard University Political Science & Government Report

4
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Out of the 225 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #4 spot on the list. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 masters’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 University

5
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

Out of the 225 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, New York University landed the #5 spot on the list. New York University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 46 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 NYU Political Science & Government Report

6
SNHU crest
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire

Southern New Hampshire University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Southern New Hampshire University is a large school located in Manchester, New Hampshire that handed out 40 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SNHU

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #7, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified masters’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. 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 Florida State

8
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking. American Military University is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full American Public University System Political Science & Government Report

9

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 33 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%. 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

10
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 30 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 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Yale University

10
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Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 30 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Regent

12

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 29 students 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 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Political Science & Government Report

12
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Liberty University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Full Liberty University Political Science & Government Report

14
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. The Graduate Center is located in New York, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

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. 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%.

Full The Graduate Center Political Science & Government Report

14

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

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 UIS

16
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Political Science & Government at EIU

17

St John’s University - New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. St John’s University - New York is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 23 masters’s political science degrees 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 STJ

18

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 20 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

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 95%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Political Science & Government Report

19
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified masters’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Princeton University

21
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Full Georgia State University Political Science & Government Report

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 16 masters’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

22
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Duke

22
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Texas State

25

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 15 masters’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Madison

25
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #25, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s list. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 15 students 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Rutgers New Brunswick

Rest of the Best 34 in Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Master’s

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
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Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho
27
29
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Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan
29
29
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
29
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
29
29
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Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia
29
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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