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

131 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
9,218 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$36,589 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. Combined, these schools handed out 9,218 degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

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
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$49,929 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue 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 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of around $13,340 above the typical earnings of political science & government majors.

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
308 Political Science Degrees Awarded
0.6% Growth in Graduates

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 large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 308 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Georgetown University earn a boost of approximately $18,541 over the average earnings of political science & government majors.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 Political Science Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult 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 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 308 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of about $15,507 above the average earnings of political science & government majors.

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
159 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested 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 very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were roughly 159 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Johns Hopkins University get $30,786 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 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 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 157 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 degree program at Cornell University earn $14,880 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 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 #10 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 100 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients typically earn about $37,831 at the beginning of their careers.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

NYU is a very 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 about 248 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from New York University make $11,899 more than the standard political science student.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
469 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$57,881 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large 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 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 469 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 $21,292 more than the typical political science student.

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
36 Political Science Degrees Awarded
36.1% Growth in Graduates

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 36 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 make $6,530 more than the standard political science grad.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
345 Political Science Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

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 approximately 345 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 get an earnings boost of around $6,081 over the average income of political science & government majors.

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

11
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Political Science Degrees Awarded
27.4% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 84 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Lafayette in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Lafayette College get $9,819 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65th Most Popular In NY

Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit university located in the 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 about 7 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Teachers College in the most recent data year.

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
246 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,217 Median Starting Salary

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 approximately 246 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at American University earn $8,628 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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
97 Political Science Degrees Awarded
8.2% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 97 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Bucknell in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Bucknell University earn $12,918 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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
70 Political Science Degrees Awarded
34.3% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 70 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Barnard College earn $12,218 more than the average political science grad.

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

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$39,029 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 121 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Villanova University receive an earnings boost of around $2,440 above the average income of political science & government majors.

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

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,692 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 127 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 wages 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
87 Political Science Degrees Awarded
9.2% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 87 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Colgate University receive $6,224 more than the typical political science graduate.

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

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

The Graduate Center is a moderately-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 40 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.

RankCollegeLocation
26Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA
20Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
21University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
22Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
23University of RochesterRochester, NY
24Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
25Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew 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 .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Pennsylvania3342,079
New York3333,765
Maryland2791,135
New Jersey273792
District of Columbia1881,320
Delaware175173

View All Rankings >

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

Political Science Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Political Science8,734
American Government & Politics (United States)220
Other Political Science & Government158
Political Economy106

View All Political Science Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Economics10,436
International Relations & National Security4,976
Sociology4,681
General Social Sciences2,552
Anthropology1,561
Geography & Cartography1,298
Other Social Sciences779
Urban Studies450
Sociology & Anthropology148
Archeology61

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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