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2024 Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region

50 Colleges in the Plains States Region
2,147 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$34,104 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 reviewed 50 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of political science & government. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,147 degrees in political science & government during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of political science & government school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Political Science & Government Rankings by Degree Level

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 Plains States 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 Plains States 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.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Political Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,909 Median Starting Salary

Washington University in St Louis is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in political science & government. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were about 92 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Washington University in St Louis receive $11,805 more than the average political science graduate.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
218 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$36,359 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a good choice for students interested in a degree in political science & government. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 218 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities receive $2,255 more than the standard political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Political Science Degrees Awarded
13.5% Growth in Graduates

University of Missouri - Columbia is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. Mizzou is a very large public university located in the city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were about 155 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the political science program earn about $35,343 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Missouri - Columbia

4
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,220 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. Iowa is a very large public university located in the city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were approximately 129 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Iowa earn $3,116 more than the standard political science graduate.

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

5
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Political Science Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Grinnell, Grinnell is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Grinnell is a great college overall.

There were about 38 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Grinnell in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, political science degree recipients generally earn around $31,893 in their early careers.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
16.5% Growth in Graduates

KU is a very large public university located in the city of Lawrence. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the political science program make an average of $35,655 in the first couple years of working.

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

7
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Political Science Degrees Awarded
26.9% Growth in Graduates

St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Northfield. A Best Colleges rank of #190 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.

There were approximately 67 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at St Olaf College make $4,294 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$35,620 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were about 65 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program state that they receive average early career income of $35,620.

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

9
Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
28.6% Growth in Graduates
$46,610 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Sioux Falls, Augustana Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 4th out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were roughly 21 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Augustana Sioux Falls in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Augustana University receive $12,506 more than the standard political science student.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Political Science Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

UNL is a very large public university located in the city of Lincoln. A Best Colleges rank of #138 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 101 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the political science program make around $25,360 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Best Political Science & Government Colleges by State

Explore the best political science & government schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Minnesota284685
Missouri283574
Kansas266270
Iowa264406
Nebraska238219
North Dakota21055
South Dakota20471

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Political Science & Government has other similar majors worth exploring.

Political Science Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Political Science2,125
American Government & Politics (United States)16
Other Political Science & Government4
Political Economy2

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Economics1,990
Sociology1,225
Anthropology561
Geography & Cartography512
General Social Sciences473
International Relations & National Security387
Other Social Sciences111
Sociology & Anthropology58
Urban Studies58
Archeology16

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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