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2024 Best Political Science & Government Schools

607 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 607 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 good option for students interested in a degree in political science & government. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 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 make $22,946 more than the typical political science graduate.

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

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in political science & government has to check out Harvard University. Located in the midsize 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 2,217 schools 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 data year. 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

3
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 wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 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 earn a boost of about $15,542 over the typical income of political science & government graduates.

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

4
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
306 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$55,130 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in political science & government needs to check out Georgetown University. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 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 earn $20,743 more than the typical political science student.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Political Science Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 139 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Chicago make $13,695 more than the typical political science grad.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$52,096 Median Starting Salary

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 296 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $17,709 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Political Science Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

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

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

8
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 city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 136 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Duke University earn a boost of around $8,743 over the average earnings of political science & government majors.

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

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 fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 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 receive $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 city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 1st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

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

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

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,960 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges 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 year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of about $11,573 above the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
204 Political Science Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 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 typical political science grad.

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

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 colleges 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 year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Dartmouth College make $22,708 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

14
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 large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 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 around $9,540 above the typical income of political science & government graduates.

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

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$51,469 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 166 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Cornell University earn $17,082 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,909 Median Starting Salary

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

There were about 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 receive an earnings boost of approximately $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

17
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. This university ranks 4th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 537 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of around $6,139 above the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$41,043 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools 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 make $6,656 more than the typical political science student.

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

19
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 large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 5th out of 168 schools 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

20
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 small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 108 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Princeton University receive an earnings boost of around $3,444 above the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

21
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 fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. This university ranks 1st out of 9 colleges 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 year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Brown University earn $15,799 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

22
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 2,217 colleges 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

23
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
244 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$48,488 Median Starting Salary

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. This university ranks 4th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 244 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at New York University make $14,101 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
506 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

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

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

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

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
447 Political Science Degrees Awarded
15.9% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 447 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program state that they receive average early career income of $35,789.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Wisconsin - Madison

Rest of the Top 50 Best Political Science & Government Schools

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27
28
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
29
30
31
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
32

33

34
35
36
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
37
38
39
40
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
41

42
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

43
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
44
45
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
46
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
47
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
48
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
49
50

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Political Science & Government Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 607 different United States political science & government schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
52 Boston University Boston, MA
53 Barnard College New York, NY
54 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
55 Williams College Williamstown, MA
56 Northeastern University Boston, MA
57 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
58 Villanova University Villanova, PA
59 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
60 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
61 Pomona College Claremont, CA
62 University of Georgia Athens, GA
63 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
64 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
65 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
66 Tufts University Medford, MA
67 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
68 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
69 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
70 University of Delaware Newark, DE
71 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
72 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
73 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
74 Trinity College Hartford, CT
75 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
76 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
77 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
78 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
79 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
80 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
81 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
82 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
83 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
84 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
85 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
86 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
87 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
88 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
89 Colby College Waterville, ME
90 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
91 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA

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
92 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
93 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
94 Fordham University Bronx, NY
95 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
96 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
97 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
98 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
99 Bates College Lewiston, ME
100 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
101 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
102 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
103 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
104 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
105 Smith College Northampton, MA
106 Haverford College Haverford, PA
107 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
108 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
109 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
110 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
111 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
112 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
113 Florida International University Miami, FL
114 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
115 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
116 Denison University Granville, OH
117 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
118 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
119 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
120 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
121 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA

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.

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