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2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in North Carolina

17 Colleges in North Carolina
1,761 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,575 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.

College Factual reviewed 17 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of political science & government. Combined, these schools handed out 1,761 degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

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

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 North Carolina list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 North Carolina

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 North Carolina Schools in Political Science

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$54,970 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in political science & government has to take a look at Duke University. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Duke University earn $17,395 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
365 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.4% Growth in Graduates

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in political science & government. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were approximately 365 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn $3,625 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
6.0% Growth in Graduates

Wake Forest University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in political science & government. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Winston-Salem. A Best Colleges rank of #76 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Wake Forest University get an earnings boost of about $9,586 above the typical income of political science & government graduates.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 Political Science Degrees Awarded
14.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in political science & government has to take a look at North Carolina State University. NC State is a very large public university located in the city of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #122 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 190 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients generally make an average of $38,321 in their early careers.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Political Science Degrees Awarded
5.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Elon, Elon is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #190 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Elon is a great university overall.

There were roughly 89 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Elon 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 earnings of $38,836.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$32,780 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #367 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNC Charlotte is a great university overall.

There were roughly 180 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the political science program make an average of $32,780 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$30,096 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #401 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Appalachian State is a great university overall.

There were about 120 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career earnings of $30,096.

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$31,124 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 51 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the political science program earn an average of $31,124 for their early career.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$35,627 Median Starting Salary

ECU is a very large public university located in the small city of Greenville. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the political science program earn about $35,627 in their early career salary.

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

10
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
75 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$30,925 Median Starting Salary

UNC Greensboro is a large public university located in the city of Greensboro. This university ranks 17th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 75 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, political science degree recipients usually make about $30,925 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 1,199
Florida 282 2,522
Virginia 274 1,768
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 >

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 1,739
American Government & Politics (United States) 11
Political Economy 9
Other Political Science & Government 2

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 1,297
Sociology 992
Anthropology 424
Geography & Cartography 265
General Social Sciences 125
International Relations & National Security 88
Sociology & Anthropology 13
Archeology 8

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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