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2024 Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia

19 Colleges in Virginia
1,786 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,500 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in political science & government, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #20 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.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for political science & government students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,786 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 Virginia 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. For our Best Overall Political Science & Government School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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

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 in Virginia. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Political Science & Government in Virginia

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the political science degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Political Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,129 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in political science & government needs to check out University of Virginia - Main Campus. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 114 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at University of Virginia - Main Campus get $7,629 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Virginia - Main Campus

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Political Science Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Washington and Lee University if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lexington. A Best Colleges rank of #83 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Washington and Lee is a great university overall.

There were about 59 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Washington and Lee in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Washington and Lee University make $9,731 more than the standard political science student.

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

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
200 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$38,529 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in political science & government needs to look into Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 200 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. After graduating, political science degree recipients usually earn about $38,529 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Virginia Tech

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$43,630 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is a good option for students interested in a degree in political science & government. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 170 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from William & Mary get an earnings boost of around $6,130 over the average income of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from William & Mary

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
217 Political Science Degrees Awarded
11.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 217 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from George Mason University get an earnings boost of approximately $5,475 over the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Political Science Degrees Awarded
17.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 130 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients typically make around $35,969 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$40,110 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #282 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means URichmond is a great university overall.

There were about 41 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at URichmond in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at University of Richmond earn $2,610 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 Political Science Degrees Awarded
7.5% Growth in Graduates

VCU is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 201 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career income of $32,107.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Political Science Degrees Awarded
11.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 87 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make about $37,880 for their early career.

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

10
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA

Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize suburb of Salem. This college ranks 24th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 20 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Roanoke College get an earnings boost of around $7,373 above the average earnings of political science & government majors.

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

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 1,199
Florida 282 2,522
North Carolina 279 1,762
Tennessee 269 714
South Carolina 248 768
Kentucky 244 439
Louisiana 242 582
Mississippi 234 294
Arkansas 234 297
Alabama 233 566
West Virginia 207 290

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 1,575
Other Political Science & Government 209
American Government & Politics (United States) 2

View All Political Science Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Social Sciences 1,609
Economics 1,329
International Relations & National Security 1,122
Sociology 937
Geography & Cartography 254
Anthropology 219
Urban Studies 81
Other Social Sciences 19
Sociology & Anthropology 16

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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