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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government

1,115 Ranked Colleges
43,812 Degrees Awarded
$33,885 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 43,812 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 1,115 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular political science and government programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s”.

1

Out of the 1,115 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 690 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCLA Political Science & Government Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 496 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Berkeley

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 477 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Florida State

4

Out of the 1,115 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 453 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - San Diego Political Science & Government Report

5

Out of the 1,115 schools in the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 410 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full ASU - Tempe Political Science & Government Report

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 407 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 399 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 371 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full University of Central Florida Political Science & Government Report

9

University of California - Irvine came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 349 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Irvine

10
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 336 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UF

11

Florida International University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 334 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at FIU

11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 334 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Political Science & Government Report

13

University of California - Davis ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 323 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Davis

14
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 321 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at George Washington University

15

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 319 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UMCP

16

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 315 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UT Austin

16

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 315 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UCSB

18

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 297 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Texas A&M University - College Station

19

University of California - Riverside ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 274 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UCR

20

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 272 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at U-M

21

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 253 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Ohio State University - Main Campus

22

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UMN Twin Cities

22

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 248 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Political Science & Government Report

24
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 244 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Georgetown University

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s list. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 239 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Colorado Boulder Political Science & Government Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
27
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
27
29
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
30
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
30
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
32
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
33
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
34
35
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
36
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
37
38
38
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
40
40
42
43
43
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York
45
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
46
46
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
48
48
50
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Political Science Major for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
52Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
53The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
54Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
55William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
56Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
57North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
57University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
59Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
60Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
61California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
62San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
63Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
64University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
65Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
RankCollegeLocation
65University of DelawareNewark, DE
67Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
68Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
69Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
70University of North TexasDenton, TX
71Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
71Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
73Queens CollegeQueens, NY
74Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
74University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
74Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
74University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
78Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
78United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD
80Boston UniversityBoston, MA
80University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
82Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
82Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
84Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
85Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
86University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
86Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
88California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
89University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
89University of KentuckyLexington, KY
RankCollegeLocation
89San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
92Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
92University of IowaIowa City, IA
92Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
92James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
96Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
97Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
97Howard UniversityWashington, DC
99Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ
100Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
100Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
102Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
103College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
104University of ChicagoChicago, IL
105University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
105Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
107Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
107University of VermontBurlington, VT
107University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
110Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
111University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
111Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
111Duke UniversityDurham, NC
114Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
115University of KansasLawrence, KS
RankCollegeLocation
116Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
116DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
116John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY
116Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
120University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
120Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME
120University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD
123Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
124University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
124Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
124Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
127California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
127University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
129San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
130University of MississippiUniversity, MS
131California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
131California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
131Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
134College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
134University of California - MercedMerced, CA
136University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
137Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
138Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
138Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
140Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
RankCollegeLocation
140University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI
140The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
140Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA
144California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
145University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
145University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
145Elon UniversityElon, NC
148California State University - ChicoChico, CA
149University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
149Furman UniversityGreenville, SC
151The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
151Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
151Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
151University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
151University of Washington - Bothell CampusBothell, WA
156Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
156Davidson CollegeDavidson, NC
158University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
158Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
158University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
158Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
158West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
163University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
164Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
164Towson UniversityTowson, MD
RankCollegeLocation
166East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
166Trinity CollegeHartford, CT
166Tufts UniversityMedford, MA

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