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2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southwest Region

44 Colleges in the Southwest Region
4,071 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,575 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #20 in popularity, political science & government is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 44 schools in the Southwest Region 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 4,071 degrees in political science & government annually.

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

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southwest Region Your choice of political science & government school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Political Science & Government School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

Associate Degrees in Political Science
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 the Southwest Region. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Political Science & Government in the Southwest Region

The schools below may not offer all types of political science degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools in Political Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
270 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$41,817 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in political science & government needs to check out Texas A&M University - College Station. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were approximately 270 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Texas A&M University - College Station earn $4,242 more than the standard political science grad.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Texas A&M University - College Station

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
342 Political Science Degrees Awarded
2.0% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were approximately 342 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $5,706 more than the standard political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from The University of Texas at Austin

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Political Science Program Name

Gain a solid understanding of American political history, the current political landscape, and the major political parties with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Political Science from Southern New Hampshire University
3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
378 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$42,528 Median Starting Salary

Arizona State University - Tempe is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #108 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were roughly 378 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Arizona State University - Tempe earn a boost of about $4,952 above the average income of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Arizona State University - Tempe

4
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$54,728 Median Starting Salary

Rice University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #48 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were about 44 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Rice University get $17,153 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
194 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$36,193 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #110 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Arizona is a great university overall.

There were about 194 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients typically make an average of $36,193 in the first five years of their career.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
112 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$32,981 Median Starting Salary

Baylor is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waco. A Best Colleges rank of #150 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Baylor is a great university overall.

There were about 112 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make about $32,981 in their early career salary.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$50,627 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #112 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 89 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Texas Christian University make $13,052 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Political Science Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #142 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.

There were about 49 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Southern Methodist University receive an earnings boost of around $14,585 above the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Political Science Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Texas Tech is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were roughly 139 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career wages of $35,114.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
85 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,401 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Norman, University of Oklahoma is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #191 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Oklahoma is a great university overall.

There were approximately 85 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the political science program earn about $37,401 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

Best Political Science & Government Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 2,753
Arizona 287 1,044
Oklahoma 257 240
New Mexico 219 224

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

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 3,878
Other Political Science & Government 154
American Government & Politics (United States) 29
Political Economy 10

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Political Science

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 2,794
Sociology 2,754
Anthropology 1,061
Geography & Cartography 1,054
General Social Sciences 833
International Relations & National Security 809
Other Social Sciences 62
Urban Studies 52
Archeology 10
Demography & Population Studies 8

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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