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2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania

32 Colleges in Pennsylvania
2,049 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$37,575 Avg Early-Career Salary
Political Science & Government is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #20 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 32 schools in Pennsylvania to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of political science & government. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,049 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 Pennsylvania Your choice of political science & government school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for political science & government schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

Associate Degrees in Political Science
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 Pennsylvania list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Political Science & Government in Pennsylvania

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the political science degree levels they offer.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools in Political Science

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$65,473 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in political science & government has to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania earn $27,898 more than the standard political science grad.

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

2
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$46,549 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Villanova University if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were about 121 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Villanova University make $8,974 more than the standard political science grad.

More information about a degree in political science & government from Villanova 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
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Political Science Degrees Awarded
8.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in political science & government needs to look into Bucknell University. Located in the town of Lewisburg, Bucknell is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #158 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Bucknell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 97 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Bucknell in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Bucknell University make $15,437 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

4
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Political Science Degrees Awarded
36.1% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in political science & government needs to take a look at Swarthmore College. Swarthmore is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Swarthmore. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Swarthmore is a great college overall.

There were roughly 36 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Swarthmore in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Swarthmore College make $2,874 more than the typical political science graduate.

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

5
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Political Science Degrees Awarded
27.4% Growth in Graduates

Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Easton. A Best Colleges rank of #204 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Lafayette is a great college overall.

There were roughly 84 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Lafayette in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Lafayette College make $10,537 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
181 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$35,390 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #85 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 181 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, political science degree recipients usually earn an average of $35,390 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in political science & government from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

7
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
149 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$36,011 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #97 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were about 149 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program state that they receive average early career income of $36,011.

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

8
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Political Science Degrees Awarded
45.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Bethlehem, Lehigh is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Lehigh is a great university overall.

There were about 59 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Lehigh in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Lehigh University get $16,057 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

9
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Political Science Degrees Awarded
6.6% Growth in Graduates

Gettysburg is a small private not-for-profit college located in the fringe town of Gettysburg. This college ranks 16th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 76 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Gettysburg in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Gettysburg College make $5,747 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

10
Muhlenberg crest
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA

Muhlenberg is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Allentown. This college ranks 17th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 29 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Muhlenberg in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career wages of $25,058.

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

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
New York 333 3,765
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 1,994
Other Political Science & Government 22
American Government & Politics (United States) 17
Political Economy 16

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 2,191
Sociology 880
Geography & Cartography 665
International Relations & National Security 522
Anthropology 378
General Social Sciences 231
Other Social Sciences 170
Urban Studies 59
Sociology & Anthropology 48
Archeology 20

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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