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2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in New York

54 Colleges in New York
3,770 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.

College Factual looked at 54 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in New York ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,770 degrees in political science & government annually.

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

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools in New York Your choice of political science & government school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

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

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 New York. 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 New York

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. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

10 Top New York Schools in Political Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 Political Science Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in political science & government. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 308 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York receive $23,502 more than the average political science graduate.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Columbia University in the City of New York

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$60,292 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Cornell University if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 157 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Cornell University earn a boost of around $22,717 above the typical income of political science & government graduates.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Cornell 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
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Political Science Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in political science & government has to look into New York University. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 248 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from New York University earn $13,208 more than the average political science student.

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

4
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
187 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$43,232 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in political science & government needs to look into Syracuse University. Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were roughly 187 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Syracuse University get an earnings boost of around $5,657 over the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

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

5
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Political Science Degrees Awarded
34.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #86 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Barnard is a great college overall.

There were about 70 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Barnard College get an earnings boost of around $19,723 over the typical income of political science & government majors.

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

6
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Political Science Degrees Awarded
9.2% Growth in Graduates

Colgate is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Hamilton. A Best Colleges rank of #133 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Colgate is a great university overall.

There were roughly 87 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Colgate University get an earnings boost of about $18,489 above the typical income of political science & government graduates.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
164 Political Science Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #67 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Fordham U is a great university overall.

There were about 164 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Fordham University earn $4,234 more than the average political science grad.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,194 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Vestal, Binghamton University is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #154 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Binghamton University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 129 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Binghamton University in the most recent data year. After graduating, political science degree recipients usually earn about $37,194 in the first five years of their career.

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

9
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Political Science Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Hamilton is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize suburb of Clinton. A Best Colleges rank of #138 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Hamilton is a great college overall.

There were approximately 40 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Hamilton in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Hamilton College make $21,232 more than the average political science grad.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Political Science Degrees Awarded
32.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #82 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Rochester is a great university overall.

There were approximately 78 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the political science program earn about $37,921 for their early career.

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

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Political Science & Government students in the state of New York that almost earned our Best Political Science & Government Schools in New York award.

Rank College Location
11 University at Albany Albany, NY
12 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
13 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
14 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
15 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
16 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
17 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
18 St Lawrence University Canton, NY

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 2,079
Maryland 279 1,135
New Jersey 273 792
District of Columbia 188 1,320
Delaware 175 173

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 3,646
Other Political Science & Government 51
Political Economy 44
American Government & Politics (United States) 29

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 5,181
Sociology 2,695
International Relations & National Security 1,186
General Social Sciences 1,070
Anthropology 863
Urban Studies 340
Geography & Cartography 320
Other Social Sciences 250
Sociology & Anthropology 100
Archeology 30

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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