College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

40 Colleges in Pennsylvania
2,010 Bachelor's Degrees
$34,344 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #12 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 40 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,010 bachelor's degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania The political science bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for political science & government students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Political Science Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in Pennsylvania

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science & government.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools for a Bachelor's in Political Science

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
139 Annual Graduates
$49,929 Median Starting Salary
$14,722 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of about $15,585 over the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Pennsylvania

2
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA

Swarthmore College is a great option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Located in the large suburb of Swarthmore, Swarthmore is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Swarthmore College get an earnings boost of about $8,775 above the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Swarthmore College

3
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
61 Annual Graduates
$46,408 Median Starting Salary
$13,640 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Lafayette College if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Located in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government degree program at Lafayette College get $12,064 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Lafayette College

4
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
89 Annual Graduates
$49,507 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

Bucknell University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Bucknell is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lewisburg.

Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government degree program at Bucknell University get $15,163 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Bucknell University

5
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
123 Annual Graduates
$39,029 Median Starting Salary
$25,620 Median Student Debt

Villanova is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Villanova.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Villanova University get an earnings boost of about $4,685 over the average income of political science & government graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Villanova University

6
195 Annual Graduates
$27,341 Median Starting Salary
$25,900 Median Student Debt

Pitt is a very large public university located in the city of Pittsburgh.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the political science program state that they receive average early career income of $27,341.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

7
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, PA

Located in the suburb of Haverford, Haverford is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Haverford College receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,818 over the typical income of political science & government graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Haverford College

8
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
141 Annual Graduates
$32,575 Median Starting Salary
$25,815 Median Student Debt

Temple is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the political science program state that they receive average early career income of $32,575.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Temple University

9
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA
71 Annual Graduates
$32,595 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Gettysburg, Gettysburg is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Soon after graduation, political science bachelor's recipients usually earn an average of $32,595 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Gettysburg College

10
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
12 Annual Graduates

Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Drexel University

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 275 3,475
Maryland 207 1,012
New Jersey 193 721
Delaware 130 162
District of Columbia 126 1,030

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 1,975
American Government & Politics (United States) 19
Other Political Science & Government 13
Political Economy 3

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 2,235
Sociology 781
International Relations & National Security 474
Anthropology 312
Geography & Cartography 163
General Social Sciences 146
Other Social Sciences 94
Urban Studies 80
Sociology & Anthropology 50
Archeology 19

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options