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2025 Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

8 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
220 Master's Degrees
$52,565 Avg Early-Career Salary
a master's degree in political science & government is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #71 out of 343 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 8 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 220 master's degrees in political science & government during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

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

Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of political science & government for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality political science program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master'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

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in the Great Lakes Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in political science & government.

Top Great Lakes Region Schools for a Master's in Political Science

1
5 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in political science & government. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Northwestern University

2
5 Annual Graduates

University of Notre Dame is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in political science & government. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from University of Notre Dame

3
17 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Wisconsin - Madison if you wish to pursue a master's degree in political science & government. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from University of Wisconsin - Madison

4
12 Annual Graduates

Miami University - Oxford is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in political science & government. Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the fringe town of Oxford.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Miami University - Oxford

5
8 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Loyola University Chicago

6
1 Annual Graduates

OHIO Athens is a fairly large public university located in the town of Athens.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Ohio University - Athens Campus

7
21 Annual Graduates

EIU is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Charleston.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Eastern Illinois University

8

Located in the city of Springfield, UIS is a public university with a small student population.

Master's students who receive their degree from the political science program earn around $52,565 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in political science & government from University of Illinois at Springfield

Best Political Science & Government Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Illinois 221 112
Michigan 211 30
Ohio 207 47
Indiana 191 23
Wisconsin 173 29

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

Political Science Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 215
Other Political Science & Government 5

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 746
General Social Sciences 235
Sociology 176
International Relations & National Security 159
Geography & Cartography 141
Anthropology 110
Other Social Sciences 22
Urban Studies 11
Archeology 4

Notes and References

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