2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia
20
Colleges in Virginia
1,806
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.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for political science & government students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,806 degrees in political science & government to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
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Featured Political Science & Government Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Political Science
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.
Learn More
Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School
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. 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.
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
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 Virginia.
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.
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Featured Political Science & Government Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Political Science
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.
Learn More
Best Schools for Political Science & Government in Virginia
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 Virginia Schools in Political Science
Every student who is interested in political science & government needs to take a look at University of Virginia - Main Campus. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.
There were about 126 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of around $8,300 over the average earnings of political science & government majors.
More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Every student who is interested in political science & government needs to check out Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.
There were approximately 197 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Virginia Tech receive $4,539 more than the average political science grad.
More information about a degree in political science & government from Virginia Tech
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
William & Mary is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.
There were roughly 142 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at William & Mary make $3,742 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in political science & government from William & Mary
George Mason University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in political science & government. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 218 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at George Mason University get $8,271 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in political science & government from George Mason University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In VA
69
Political Science Degrees Awarded
Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lexington. A Best Colleges rank of #77 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Washington and Lee is a great university overall.
There were about 69 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Washington and Lee in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in political science & government from Washington and Lee University
Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 127 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from James Madison University earn $4,553 more than the average political science student.
More information about a degree in political science & government from James Madison University
Located in the medium-sized city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #126 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means URichmond is a great university overall.
There were approximately 49 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at URichmond in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Richmond receive $5,678 more than the typical political science grad.
More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Richmond
VCU is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 208 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the political science program make about $34,080 for their early career.
More information about a degree in political science & government from Virginia Commonwealth University
Located in the medium-sized city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #479 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means CNU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 74 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Christopher Newport University get an earnings boost of approximately $5,933 above the average income of political science & government graduates.
More information about a degree in political science & government from Christopher Newport University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
16th
Most Popular In VA
Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Salem. This college ranks 25th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 16 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in political science & government from Roanoke College