College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region

45 Colleges in the Plains States Region
2,147 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.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 45 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for political science & government students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,147 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 the Plains States Region 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

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 the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States Region

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 Plains States Region Schools in Political Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
218 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$40,208 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great option for students interested in a degree in political science & government. 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 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 218 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities make $2,633 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MO
92 Political Science Degrees Awarded

Washington University in St Louis is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in political science & government. 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 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 92 political science & government 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 & government 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
129 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$39,133 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a degree in political science & government. 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 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 129 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program report average early career wages of $39,133.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Political Science Degrees Awarded
13.5% Growth in Graduates

University of Missouri - Columbia is a great decision for students interested in a degree in political science & government. Mizzou is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 155 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make about $37,722 in their early career salary.

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

5
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Political Science Degrees Awarded
16.5% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at KU 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 wages of $33,700.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Political Science Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 101 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. After graduating, political science degree recipients typically earn an average of $36,364 at the beginning of their careers.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Political Science Degrees Awarded
$30,715 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small 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 & government students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. After graduating, political science degree recipients generally earn about $30,715 at the beginning of their careers.

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

8
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Political Science Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

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 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 38 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Grinnell in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the political science program state that they receive average early career earnings of $36,662.

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

9
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Political Science Degrees Awarded
26.9% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 67 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make an average of $30,953 in the first couple years of working.

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

10
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Political Science Degrees Awarded
30.4% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 56 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Macalester 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 wages of $39,439.

More information about a degree in political science & government 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 & Government 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 & Government Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 685
Missouri 283 574
Kansas 266 270
Iowa 264 406
Nebraska 238 219
North Dakota 210 55
South Dakota 204 71

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 2,125
American Government & Politics (United States) 16
Other Political Science & Government 4
Political Economy 2

View All Political Science Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 1,990
Sociology 1,225
Anthropology 561
Geography & Cartography 512
General Social Sciences 473
International Relations & National Security 387
Other Social Sciences 111
Urban Studies 58
Sociology & Anthropology 58
Archeology 16

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options