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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

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia 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

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 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.

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

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
126 Political Science Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

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

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
197 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$42,114 Median Starting Salary

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

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
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$41,317 Median Starting Salary

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
218 Political Science Degrees Awarded
0.5% Growth in Graduates

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

5
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

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$42,128 Median Starting Salary

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

7
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Political Science Degrees Awarded
16.3% Growth in Graduates

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
208 Political Science Degrees Awarded
3.4% Growth in Graduates

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$43,508 Median Starting Salary

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

10
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
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

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 1,199
Florida 282 2,522
North Carolina 279 1,762
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 >

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

Political Science Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 1,596
Other Political Science & Government 210

View All Political Science Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Social Sciences 1,311
Economics 1,276
International Relations & National Security 1,125
Sociology 912
Geography & Cartography 248
Anthropology 221
Urban Studies 73
Other Social Sciences 11
Sociology & Anthropology 10

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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