College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools

591 Colleges in the United States
47,686 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,575 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 looked at 591 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 47,686 degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools The political science program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Political Science & Government rankings. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Political Science & Government 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. 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 United States

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. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Political Science

1
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 Political Science Degrees Awarded
0.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in political science & government needs to look into Georgetown University. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 308 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Georgetown University get $19,823 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
159 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.9% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in political science & government. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 159 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Johns Hopkins University earn $58,731 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

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
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$65,473 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania receive $27,898 more than the standard political science grad.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 Political Science Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

Columbia University in the City of New York is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. This university ranks 2nd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 308 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $23,502 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$54,970 Median Starting Salary

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 colleges 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. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Duke University earn a boost of approximately $17,395 above the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

6
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
191 Political Science Degrees Awarded
17.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 191 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Harvard University get $23,968 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$56,022 Median Starting Salary

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 131 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Chicago earn $18,447 more than the average political science graduate.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
469 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$59,288 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 7 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were roughly 469 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from George Washington University earn $21,713 more than the average political science grad.

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

9
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
153 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$72,618 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were about 153 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Dartmouth College get $35,043 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$54,737 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 125 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Northwestern University earn $17,162 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$55,316 Median Starting Salary

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 190 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at University of Notre Dame get $17,741 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
707 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$34,392 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 4th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 707 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients typically earn an average of $34,392 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of California - Los Angeles

13
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Political Science Degrees Awarded
14.5% Growth in Graduates

Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven. This university ranks 1st out of 18 schools for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were about 165 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Yale University get an earnings boost of about $19,891 over the typical income of political science & government graduates.

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

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
492 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$45,418 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 492 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at University of California - Berkeley earn $7,843 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of California - Berkeley

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$42,063 Median Starting Salary

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 391 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison make $4,488 more than the average political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Wisconsin - Madison

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$60,292 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 157 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Cornell University make $22,717 more than the typical political science grad.

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

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
254 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$39,702 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 254 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $2,127 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

18
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
246 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$48,131 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 7 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 246 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from American University earn a boost of around $10,556 over the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

19
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
173 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$46,764 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This college ranks 3rd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 173 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Boston College earn $9,189 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
345 Political Science Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 35 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 345 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park earn $5,113 more than the standard political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Maryland - College Park

21
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Political Science Degrees Awarded
21.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 124 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Vanderbilt University receive an earnings boost of around $9,268 over the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

22
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Political Science Degrees Awarded
13.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 99 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Stanford University get an earnings boost of around $21,722 above the typical income of political science & government majors.

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

23
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. This university ranks 3rd out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 248 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at New York University earn $13,208 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

24
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$38,063 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 139 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make about $38,063 in their early career salary.

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

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Political Science Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 150 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Northeastern University get an earnings boost of approximately $14,941 above the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

Rest of the Top 50 Best Political Science & Government Schools

26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI

33

34
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
35
36
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
37
38
39
40
41
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

42
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

43
44
45
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
46
47
48
49
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
50

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Political Science & Government Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 591 different United States political science & government schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
52 University of Georgia Athens, GA
53 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
54 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
55 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
56 Rice University Houston, TX
57 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
58 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
59 Williams College Williamstown, MA
60 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
61 Tufts University Medford, MA
62 Barnard College New York, NY
63 Emory University Atlanta, GA
64 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
65 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
66 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
67 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
68 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
69 Fordham University Bronx, NY
70 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
71 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
72 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
73 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
74 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
75 Lafayette College Easton, PA
76 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
77 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
78 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
79 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
80 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
81 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
82 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
83 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
84 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
85 Colby College Waterville, ME
86 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
87 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
88 Amherst College Amherst, MA
89 Trinity College Hartford, CT
90 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
91 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
92 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA
93 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
94 Bates College Lewiston, ME
95 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
96 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
97 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
98 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
99 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
100 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
101 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
102 University at Albany Albany, NY
103 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
104 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
105 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
106 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
107 Baylor University Waco, TX
108 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
109 Providence College Providence, RI
110 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
111 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
112 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
113 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
114 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
115 Connecticut College New London, CT
116 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
117 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
118 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Political Science & Government Schools award.

Rank College Location
119 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
120 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
121 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
122 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
123 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
124 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
125 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
126 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
127 Smith College Northampton, MA
128 Florida International University Miami, FL
129 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
130 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
131 Iowa State University Ames, IA
132 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
133 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
134 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
135 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
136 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
137 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
138 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
139 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
140 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
141 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
142 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH
143 Clemson University Clemson, SC
144 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
145 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
146 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
147 DePaul University Chicago, IL
148 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
149 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
150 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
151 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
152 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
153 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
154 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
155 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
156 Elon University Elon, NC
157 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
158 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
159 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
160 Washington State University Pullman, WA
161 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
162 University of North Texas Denton, TX
163 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
164 Illinois State University Normal, IL
165 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
166 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
167 Howard University Washington, DC
168 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
169 Haverford College Haverford, PA
170 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
171 Chapman University Orange, CA
172 University of Denver Denver, CO
173 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
174 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
175 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
176 Centre College Danville, KY
177 University of Houston Houston, TX
178 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
179 City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
180 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
181 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
182 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
183 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
184 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
185 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
186 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
187 Suffolk University Boston, MA
188 Furman University Greenville, SC
189 Bryant University Smithfield, RI
190 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
191 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
192 Emmanuel College Massachusetts Boston, MA
193 University of Dallas Irving, TX
194 Towson University Towson, MD
195 Auburn University Auburn, AL
196 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
197 Denison University Granville, OH

Political Science & Government by Region

View the Best Political Science & Government Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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 45,964
Other Political Science & Government 1,026
American Government & Politics (United States) 360
Political Economy 336

View All Political Science Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 47,809
Sociology 35,816
General Social Sciences 17,338
International Relations & National Security 13,958
Anthropology 11,105
Geography & Cartography 8,281
Other Social Sciences 2,116
Urban Studies 1,453
Sociology & Anthropology 520
Archeology 333

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options