by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 83 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for political science students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 4,952 bachelor's degrees in political science to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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.
The poly sci bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality poly sci program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
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 ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
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 colleges for political science students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Political Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's hard to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from University of Chicago
It is hard to beat University of Notre Dame if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from University of Notre Dame
Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in political science. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Northwestern University
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in political science has to check out University of Wisconsin - Madison. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from University of Wisconsin - Madison
U-M is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Michigan State University
IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Bloomington.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Indiana University - Bloomington
Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Purdue University - Main Campus
Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public university located in the town of Oxford.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Miami University - Oxford
Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Marquette University
Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Loyola University Chicago
UC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Cincinnati.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
NIU is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Northern Illinois University
Xavier is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Cincinnati.More information about a bachelor’s in political science from Xavier University
Here are some additional great schools for Political Science students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Political Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 18 | Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI |
| 19 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
| 20 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 21 | Kenyon College | Gambier, OH |
| 22 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 23 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 24 | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH |
| 25 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 26 | Denison University | Granville, OH |
| 27 | University of Dayton | Dayton, OH |
Explore the best political science schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
Political Science is one of 4 different types of Political Science & Government programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Other Political Science & Government | 44 |
| Political Economy | 10 |
| American Government & Politics (United States) | 9 |
