College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

32 Colleges in Pennsylvania
1,831 Bachelor's Degrees
$38,805 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #12 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.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 32 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,831 bachelor's degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania The political science bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for political science & government students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Political Science Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania.

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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in Pennsylvania

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science & government.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools for a Bachelor's in Political Science

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
112 Annual Graduates
$65,473 Median Starting Salary
$40,285 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.

Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government degree program at University of Pennsylvania get $26,668 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Pennsylvania

2
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
115 Annual Graduates
$46,549 Median Starting Salary
$45,220 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat Villanova University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Villanova.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Villanova University receive an earnings boost of around $7,744 above the average income of political science & government graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Villanova University

3
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA

Bucknell University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Bucknell is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lewisburg.

Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government program at Bucknell University make $14,207 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Bucknell University

4
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA

Swarthmore College is a good option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Located in the large suburb of Swarthmore, Swarthmore is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After graduation, political science bachelor's recipients usually make about $40,449 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Swarthmore College

5
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA

Located in the large suburb of Easton, Lafayette is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Those political science & government students who get their bachelor's degree from Lafayette College make $9,307 more than the average political science graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Lafayette College

6
106 Annual Graduates
$35,390 Median Starting Salary
$24,492 Median Student Debt

Pitt is a very large public university located in the city of Pittsburgh.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the political science program state that they receive average early career income of $35,390.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

7
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA

Lehigh is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Bethlehem.

Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government program at Lehigh University make $14,827 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Lehigh University

8
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
130 Annual Graduates
$36,011 Median Starting Salary
$40,293 Median Student Debt

Temple is a fairly large public university located in the city of Philadelphia.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the political science program state that they receive average early career wages of $36,011.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Temple University

9
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA
76 Annual Graduates
$43,322 Median Starting Salary
$58,562 Median Student Debt

Located in the fringe town of Gettysburg, Gettysburg is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government program at Gettysburg College make $4,517 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Gettysburg College

10
Muhlenberg crest
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA

Located in the city of Allentown, Muhlenberg is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Soon after graduating, political science bachelor's recipients usually earn around $25,058 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Muhlenberg College

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 275 3,475
Maryland 207 1,012
New Jersey 193 721
Delaware 130 162
District of Columbia 126 1,030

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 1,799
American Government & Politics (United States) 16
Political Economy 8
Other Political Science & Government 8

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 1,900
Sociology 604
International Relations & National Security 454
Anthropology 277
General Social Sciences 129
Geography & Cartography 116
Other Social Sciences 115
Sociology & Anthropology 53
Urban Studies 52
Archeology 10

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options