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2025 Best Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region

45 Colleges in the Plains States Region
2,125 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded
Political Science is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #13 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 45 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,125 degrees in political science to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Political Science School

Best Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region The poly sci program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Political Science rankings. For our Best Overall Political Science School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Political Science Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Poly Sci
Master's Degrees in Poly Sci
Doctor's Degrees in Poly Sci

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 in the Plains States Region

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 poly sci degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Poly Sci

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
218 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in political science needs to check out University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 218 political science students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MO
92 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Washington University in St Louis is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in political science. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were about 92 political science students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Washington University in St Louis

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
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IA
129 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

University of Iowa is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in political science. Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 129 political science students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Iowa

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
149 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in political science has to take a look at University of Missouri - Columbia. Mizzou is a very large public university located in the city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were roughly 149 political science students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Missouri - Columbia

5
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KS
133 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

KU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lawrence. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 133 political science students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Kansas

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NE
101 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

UNL is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lincoln. A Best Colleges rank of #207 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 101 political science students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IA
65 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #88 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 65 political science students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from Iowa State University

8
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IA
38 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Grinnell, Grinnell is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 4th out of 37 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 38 political science students who graduated with this degree at Grinnell in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Grinnell College

9
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MN
67 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield. This college ranks 6th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 67 political science students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in political science from St Olaf College

10
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MN
56 Poly Sci Degrees Awarded

Macalester is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Saint Paul. This college ranks 8th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 56 political science students who graduated with this degree at Macalester in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in political science from Macalester College

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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 Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
11 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
12 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
13 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
14 Drake University Des Moines, IA
15 Creighton University Omaha, NE

Best Political Science Colleges by State

Explore the best political science colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 742 680
Missouri 693 563
Iowa 648 401
Kansas 599 270
Nebraska 500 219
North Dakota 416 55
South Dakota 381 71

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Political Science & Government area of study, Political Science has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Poly Sci

Related Major Annual Graduates
American Government & Politics (United States) 16
Other Political Science & Government 4
Political Economy 2

View All Poly Sci Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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