2021 Best Political Science & Government Colleges for Veterans
Finding the Best Political Science & Government Schools for Vets
In 2019-2020, 43,385 people earned their bachelor's in political science and government, making the major the #13 most popular in the United States.
This year's Best Political Science & Government Colleges for Veterans ranking analyzed 362 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in political science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science and government programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the political science and government program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools
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 the Best Political Science Schools for Veterans.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
2021 Best Political Science & Government Schools for Veterans in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Political Science & Government Colleges for Veterans.
Top 25 Most Veteran Friendly Political Science & Government Schools
Georgetown University landed the #1 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value political science and government schools. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Georgetown not only placed well in our veterans rankings. It is also #1 on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
According to our most recent data, Georgetown supports 19,371 students, and 870 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 809 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $16,728. To help with additional expenses, 254 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value political science and government schools. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population. Columbia not only placed well in our veterans rankings. It is also #3 on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
According to our most recent data, Columbia supports 30,135 students, and 797 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 528 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $20,878. During this same period, 361 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The #3 spot in this year's ranking belongs to George Washington University. Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. GWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Among the 27,017 students enrolled at GWU, 1,274 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,076 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $16,151. On top of their other funding sources, 349 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Harvard University earned the #4 spot in our 2021 rankings. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #2 rank in our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government ranking.
Of the 30,391 students enrolled at Harvard, 378 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 297 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $22,846. On top of their other funding sources, 175 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The #5 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame. Notre Dame also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list. It's in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
According to our most recent data, Notre Dame supports 12,809 students, and 361 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 303 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,306. During this same period, 78 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earned the #6 spot in our 2021 rankings. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list. It's in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
According to our most recent data, UNC Chapel Hill supports 30,092 students, and 641 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 419 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $9,668. During this same period, 18 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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The #7 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Maryland - College Park. Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public school with a fairly large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMCP also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government ranking.
Of the 40,709 students enrolled at UMCP, 896 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 672 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $13,240. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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New York University comes in at #8 in this year's ranking. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, NYU also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government ranking.
According to our most recent data, NYU supports 52,775 students, and 681 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 482 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $21,831. During this same period, 265 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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American University earned the #9 spot in our 2021 rankings. The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington. The American University excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Our most recent data shows that 614 of the 14,001 students enrolled at The American University were GI Bill® students, of which 522 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,029. During this same period, 245 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Our rankings recognize University of Pennsylvania as the #10 school in this year's rankings. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. UPenn also took the #8 spot in our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government rankings.
Among the 26,552 students enrolled at UPenn, 272 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 153 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,428. To help with additional expenses, 106 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The #11 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Boston College. Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, Boston College also did well on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list. It's in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Our most recent data shows that 164 of the 14,934 students enrolled at Boston College were GI Bill® students, of which 130 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $24,987. On top of their other funding sources, 74 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Our rankings recognize University of California - Berkeley as the #12 school in this year's rankings. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, UC Berkeley is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Our most recent data shows that 557 of the 42,327 students enrolled at UC Berkeley were GI Bill® students, of which 401 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,465. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The #13 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Yale University. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of New Haven. Yale also took the #4 spot in our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government rankings.
According to our most recent data, Yale supports 12,060 students, and 60 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 58 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,964. To help with additional expenses, 29 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor comes in at #14 in this year's ranking. U-M is a fairly large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. U-M excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Our most recent data shows that 509 of the 47,907 students enrolled at U-M were GI Bill® students, of which 321 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $26,841. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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American Public University System earned the #15 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
According to our most recent data, American Military University supports 50,047 students, and 17,648 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 15,614 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $3,733. During this same period, 10 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. American Military University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Our rankings recognize Princeton University as the #16 school in this year's rankings. Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #9 rank in our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government ranking.
Our most recent data shows that 17 of the 7,853 students enrolled at Princeton were GI Bill® students, of which 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $36,219. On top of their other funding sources, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The University of Texas at Austin earned the #17 spot in our 2021 rankings. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, UT Austin is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Our most recent data shows that 1,201 of the 50,476 students enrolled at UT Austin were GI Bill® students, of which 843 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,949. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Cornell University comes in at #18 in this year's ranking. Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Ithaca. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, Cornell also did well on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list. It's in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Among the 23,620 students enrolled at Cornell, 621 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 519 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,152. During this same period, 150 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Our rankings recognize Duke University as the #19 school in this year's rankings. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham. As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #7 rank in our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government ranking.
Our most recent data shows that 288 of the 16,172 students enrolled at Duke were GI Bill® students, of which 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $24,322. During this same period, 115 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Northeastern University earned the #20 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, Northeastern is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Of the 22,905 students enrolled at Northeastern, 700 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 515 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,457. During this same period, 171 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Our rankings recognize Catholic University of America as the #21 school in this year's rankings. CUA is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington. CUA excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
According to our most recent data, CUA supports 5,366 students, and 206 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 162 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $21,176. On top of their other funding sources, 66 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The #22 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Ohio State University - Main Campus. Ohio State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Columbus. Ohio State excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Of the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State, 1,851 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,158 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $10,438. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Florida State University landed the #23 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value political science and government schools. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public college with a very large student population. Florida State also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list. It's in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Our most recent data shows that 986 of the 43,569 students enrolled at Florida State were GI Bill® students, of which 582 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $5,897. To help with additional expenses, 20 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Florida State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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The #24 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Texas A&M University - College Station. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public college with a fairly large student population. In addition to being on our bet for vets list, Texas A&M College Station is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Political Science & Government list.
Our most recent data shows that 2,040 of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M College Station were GI Bill® students, of which 1,388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $9,525. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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George Mason University comes in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a very large student population.
According to our most recent data, GMU supports 38,541 students, and 2,265 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,599 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,143. During this same period, 44 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Request InformationRest of the Top Schools for Best Political Science & Government Colleges for Veterans
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best Political Science & Government Colleges for Veterans badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 362 different United States political science and government schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 52 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 53 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 54 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for vets studying Political Science that almost earned our Best Political Science & Government Colleges for Veterans award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 56 | University at Albany | Albany, NY |
| 57 | University of Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 58 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
| 59 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University - University Park | University Park, PA |
| 61 | Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA |
| 62 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 63 | Binghamton University | Vestal, NY |
| 64 | University of Missouri - Columbia | Columbia, MO |
| 65 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | Charleston, SC |
| 66 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV |
| 67 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC |
| 68 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Lincoln, NE |
| 69 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 70 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 71 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 72 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI |
Political Science & Government by Region
View the best for vets Political Science & Government colleges in a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Political Science & Government Related Veterans Rankings by Major
One of 12 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Political Science & Government has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Political Science
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 40,046 |
| Sociology | 29,491 |
| International Relations & National Security | 9,567 |
| Anthropology | 9,280 |
| Criminology | 8,860 |
View All Political Science Related Majors >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Cost is for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
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 the rest 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UKWiki at English Wikipedia.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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