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2024 Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

131 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
9,351 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$36,573 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.

College Factual looked at 131 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 9,351 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Middle Atlantic Region

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.

19 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Political Science

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
154 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$49,929 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large 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. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at University of Pennsylvania earn $13,356 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
306 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$55,130 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in political science & government. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools 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 $18,557 more than the average political science grad.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$52,096 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a degree in political science & government. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools 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. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York receive $15,523 more than the average political science graduate.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Political Science Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in political science & government needs to take a look at Johns Hopkins University. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

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 get an earnings boost of around $30,802 above the average income of political science & government majors.

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

5
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. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 166 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Cornell University earn $14,896 more than the standard political science student.

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

6
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 roughly 108 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, political science degree recipients typically earn around $37,831 in their early careers.

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

7
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 city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 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 earn $11,915 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

8
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 fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were about 506 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at George Washington University make $21,307 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

9
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$43,119 Median Starting Salary
$21,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Swarthmore, Swarthmore is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Swarthmore is a great college overall.

There were approximately 23 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Swarthmore in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Swarthmore College earn $6,546 more than the standard political science graduate.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
330 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$42,670 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were about 330 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park earn a boost of around $6,097 above the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Maryland - College Park

11
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$46,408 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Easton, Lafayette is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 9th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 61 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Lafayette in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Lafayette College earn $9,835 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65th Most Popular In NY
37.5% Growth in Graduates

Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Teachers College is a great university overall.

There were approximately 8 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Teachers College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Teachers College at Columbia University

13
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Political Science Degrees Awarded
27.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were about 296 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from American University receive an earnings boost of about $8,644 above the typical earnings of political science & government majors.

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

14
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$49,507 Median Starting Salary

Bucknell is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lewisburg. A Best Colleges rank of #66 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Bucknell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 89 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Bucknell in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Bucknell University earn a boost of around $12,934 over the average income of political science & government majors.

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

15
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$48,807 Median Starting Salary

Barnard is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of New York. This college ranks 6th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 46 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Barnard College get $12,234 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

16
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
12.8% Growth in Graduates

Villanova is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Villanova. This university ranks 5th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Villanova University earn $2,456 more than the average political science graduate.

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

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
159 Political Science Degrees Awarded
21.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Newark, UD is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 4 colleges for overall quality in the state of Delaware.

There were approximately 159 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program state that they receive average early career earnings of $37,692.

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

18
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$42,813 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hamilton, Colgate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 5th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 79 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Colgate University make $6,240 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33rd Most Popular In NY
38 Political Science Degrees Awarded

The Graduate Center is a medium-sized public school located in the city of New York. This school ranks 14th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

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

More information about a degree in political science & government from The Graduate Center, CUNY

Rest of the Top Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Political Science & Government students in the Middle Atlantic Region that almost earned our Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
26 Haverford College Haverford, PA
20 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
21 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
22 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
23 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
24 Fordham University Bronx, NY
25 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ

Best Political Science & Government Colleges by State

Explore the best political science & government colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 2,079
New York 333 3,765
Maryland 279 1,135
New Jersey 273 792
District of Columbia 188 1,320
Delaware 175 173

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 8,839
American Government & Politics (United States) 227
Other Political Science & Government 158
Political Economy 127

View All Political Science Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 11,034
International Relations & National Security 5,037
Sociology 5,001
General Social Sciences 2,694
Anthropology 1,570
Geography & Cartography 1,380
Other Social Sciences 932
Urban Studies 488
Sociology & Anthropology 159
Archeology 76

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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