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2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in Illinois

22 Colleges in Illinois
1,528 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,575 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #20 in popularity, political science & government is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 22 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of political science & government. Combined, these schools handed out 1,528 degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools in Illinois Your choice of political science & government school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Political Science & Government School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

Political Science & Government Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Political Science
Master's Degrees in Political Science
Doctor's Degrees in Political Science

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Political Science & Government Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Political Science & Government in Illinois

The schools below may not offer all types of political science degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Political Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$56,022 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in political science & government. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 131 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at University of Chicago make $18,447 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$54,737 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in political science & government has to check out Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 125 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Northwestern University get an earnings boost of about $17,162 over the average income of political science & government majors.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Northwestern University

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
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
266 Political Science Degrees Awarded
3.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 266 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career income of $35,172.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Political Science Degrees Awarded
14.8% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in political science & government needs to take a look at Loyola University Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 169 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career earnings of $37,007.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Loyola University Chicago

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$32,225 Median Starting Salary

NIU is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb. A Best Colleges rank of #529 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NIU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 74 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the political science program earn about $32,225 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Northern Illinois University

6
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
126 Political Science Degrees Awarded
19.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were about 126 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients typically make around $37,531 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in political science & government from DePaul University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$45,069 Median Starting Salary

Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Wheaton. A Best Colleges rank of #407 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.

There were approximately 9 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Wheaton College Illinois get $7,494 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Wheaton College Illinois

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Political Science Degrees Awarded
33.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 99 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients typically earn about $34,519 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Illinois State University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Political Science Degrees Awarded
4.8% Growth in Graduates

UIC is a very large public university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 105 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, political science degree recipients typically earn around $38,363 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Illinois at Chicago

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Political Science Degrees Awarded
38.2% Growth in Graduates

SIUC is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Carbondale. This university ranks 36th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 34 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make about $26,635 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 1,044
Ohio 314 1,433
Indiana 294 797
Wisconsin 273 925

View All Rankings >

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

Political Science Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 1,528

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Political Science

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 2,222
Sociology 798
International Relations & National Security 373
Anthropology 300
General Social Sciences 254
Geography & Cartography 159
Sociology & Anthropology 51
Other Social Sciences 45
Urban Studies 18
Archeology 1

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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