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2025 Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

4 Colleges in Illinois
113 Master's Degrees
$52,565 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your master's degree in political science & government, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #71 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 4 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 113 master's degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

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

Best Political Science & Government Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The political science master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

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

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

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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 Illinois.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in political science & government.

Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Political Science

1
14 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in political science & government needs to check out Northwestern University. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Northwestern University

2
10 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in political science & government needs to take a look at Loyola University Chicago. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Loyola University Chicago

3
15 Annual Graduates

Eastern Illinois University is a good decision for students pursuing a master's degree in political science & government. Located in the remote town of Charleston, EIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in political science & government from Eastern Illinois University

4

It is hard to beat University of Illinois at Springfield if you wish to pursue a master's degree in political science & government. UIS is a small public university located in the city of Springfield.

After graduation, political science master's recipients generally earn around $52,565 at the beginning of their careers.

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

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

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

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One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Political Science & Government has other similar majors worth exploring.

Political Science Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 113

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Social Sciences 706
Economics 315
International Relations & National Security 97
Sociology 66
Geography & Cartography 39
Anthropology 27
Other Social Sciences 9
Urban Studies 2

Notes and References

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