College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Political Science & Government Schools

606 Colleges in the United States
49,282 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$34,387 Avg Early-Career Salary
Political Science & Government is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #20 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 606 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science & Government Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 49,282 degrees in political science & government during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools The political science program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Political Science & Government rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for political science & government schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Political Science & Government Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Political Science
Bachelor's Degrees in Political Science
Master's Degrees in Political Science
Doctor's Degrees in Political Science

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 & Government Schools. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Political Science & Government in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the political science degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Political Science

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$57,333 Median Starting Salary

Yale University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in political science & government. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were approximately 141 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Yale University earn $22,946 more than the standard political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Yale University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Political Science Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in political science & government. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 156 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University earn a boost of about $32,988 over the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Johns Hopkins University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Political Science Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Chicago is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in political science & government. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 139 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Chicago receive $13,695 more than the standard political science student.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Chicago

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
154 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$49,929 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 154 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania get an earnings boost of around $15,542 over the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Pennsylvania

5
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were approximately 157 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Harvard University receive $24,421 more than the average political science student.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Harvard University

6
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
306 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$55,130 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 1st out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 306 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Georgetown University receive $20,743 more than the standard political science grad.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Georgetown University

7
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$43,130 Median Starting Salary

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 136 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Duke University get an earnings boost of around $8,743 over the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Duke University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$52,096 Median Starting Salary

Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. This university ranks 1st out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 296 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Columbia University in the City of New York make $17,709 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Columbia University in the City of New York

9
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$46,407 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 86 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Stanford University make $12,020 more than the average political science grad.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Stanford University

10
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In TX
59 Political Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 1st out of 116 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 59 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Rice University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
204 Political Science Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 204 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $8,649 more than the average political science grad.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Notre Dame

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,960 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 140 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Northwestern University receive an earnings boost of about $11,573 above the average earnings of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Northwestern University

13
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
168 Political Science Degrees Awarded
23.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 schools for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were roughly 168 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Dartmouth College make $22,708 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Dartmouth College

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,909 Median Starting Salary

WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. This university ranks 1st out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 94 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Washington University in St Louis get an earnings boost of about $11,522 above the typical earnings of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Washington University in St Louis

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$41,043 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 150 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Southern California earn $6,656 more than the average political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Southern California

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$51,469 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 166 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Cornell University make $17,082 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Cornell University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
713 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$35,138 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 6th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 713 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career income of $35,138.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of California - Los Angeles

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
537 Political Science Degrees Awarded
7.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 537 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of about $6,139 over the typical income of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of California - Berkeley

19
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$43,927 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 98 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Vanderbilt University earn a boost of approximately $9,540 above the typical earnings of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Vanderbilt University

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$40,625 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 285 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $6,238 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

21
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,831 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were about 108 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Princeton University get an earnings boost of about $3,444 above the average income of political science & government graduates.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Princeton University

22
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Political Science Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Providence. This university ranks 1st out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were roughly 95 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Brown University get $15,799 more than the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Brown University

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49th Most Popular In CA
38 Political Science Degrees Awarded

Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Claremont. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.

There were approximately 38 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Claremont McKenna College

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
423 Political Science Degrees Awarded
13.2% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 423 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus make $3,614 more than the standard political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
506 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 506 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from George Washington University earn $23,493 more than the typical political science student.

More information about a degree in political science & government from George Washington University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Political Science & Government Schools

25
26
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
27
28
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
29
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
30
31

32

33
34
Bowdoin crest
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
35
36
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
37
38
39
40
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

41

42
43
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
44
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
45
46
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
47
48
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
49
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, CA

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Political Science & Government Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 606 different United States political science & government schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
51 Lafayette College Easton, PA
52 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
53 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
54 Villanova University Villanova, PA
55 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
56 University of Georgia Athens, GA
57 Williams College Williamstown, MA
58 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
59 University of Delaware Newark, DE
60 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
61 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
62 Boston University Boston, MA
63 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
64 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
65 Northeastern University Boston, MA
66 Amherst College Amherst, MA
67 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
68 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
69 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
70 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
71 Tufts University Medford, MA
72 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
73 Barnard College New York, NY
74 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
75 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
76 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
77 Trinity College Hartford, CT
78 Bates College Lewiston, ME
79 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
80 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
81 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
82 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
83 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
84 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
85 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
86 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
87 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
88 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
89 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
90 Colby College Waterville, ME

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Political Science & Government Schools award.

Rank College Location
91 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
92 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
93 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
94 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
95 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
96 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
97 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
98 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
99 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
100 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
101 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
102 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
103 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
104 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
105 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
106 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
107 Florida International University Miami, FL
108 Teachers College at Columbia University New York, NY
109 Furman University Greenville, SC
110 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
111 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
112 Haverford College Haverford, PA
113 Denison University Granville, OH
114 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
115 Fordham University Bronx, NY
116 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
117 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
118 Clemson University Clemson, SC
119 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
120 University of Houston Houston, TX
121 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA

Political Science & Government by Region

View the Best Political Science & Government Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Political Science & Government is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Political Science Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 47,549
Other Political Science & Government 1,010
American Government & Politics (United States) 365
Political Economy 358

View All Political Science Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 49,055
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415
Geography & Cartography 8,526
Other Social Sciences 2,414
Urban Studies 1,507
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 339

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options