2022 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools
Ranked #13 in popularity, political science and government is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at 761 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for political science and government students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 43,385 bachelor's degrees in political science and government to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School for Your Bachelor's Degree
Your choice of political science and government for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality political science program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Overall Quality Is a Must
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Early-Career Salaries
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on political science and government students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other political science and government students want to attend this school to pursue a bachelor's degree.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for political science and government to pay back their student loans after receiving their bachelor's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized political science and government related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for political science and government students working on their bachelor's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
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.
Featured Political Science & Government Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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BA in Political Science
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. Learn More > |
Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in the United States
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science and government. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Political Science
It is difficult to beat Yale University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science and government. Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Yale University earn a boost of around $15,635 over the typical income of political science and government majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Yale University
Dartmouth College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in political science and government. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover.
Those political science and government students who get their bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College earn $26,435 more than the average political science graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Dartmouth College
Duke University is a great decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in political science and government. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the political science and government degree program at Duke University earn $13,935 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Duke University
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in political science and 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.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania earn a boost of about $17,635 over the typical earnings of political science and government majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from University of Pennsylvania
Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge.
Bachelor's recipients from the political science and government degree program at Harvard University earn $18,335 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Harvard University
Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.
Those political science and government students who get their bachelor's degree from Cornell University make $11,635 more than the standard political science student.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Cornell University
Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Georgetown University earn a boost of approximately $15,635 above the average earnings of political science and government graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Georgetown University
Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Wake Forest University receive an earnings boost of around $9,435 over the average earnings of political science and government majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Wake Forest UniversityStanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford.More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Stanford University
Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of about $3,235 above the average earnings of political science and government majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from University of Chicago
Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Those political science and government students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Notre Dame receive $13,535 more than the typical political science graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from University of Notre Dame
Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the political science and government program at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $17,635 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Columbia University in the City of New York
Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.
Those political science and government students who get their bachelor's degree from Northwestern University earn $13,535 more than the standard political science graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Northwestern University
Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Brunswick.
Those political science and government students who get their bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College earn $16,935 more than the average political science graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Bowdoin College
Located in the town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Williams College receive an earnings boost of around $10,835 above the average earnings of political science and government majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Williams College
Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Vanderbilt University receive an earnings boost of around $6,635 over the typical income of political science and government majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Vanderbilt UniversityLocated in the suburb of Claremont, Pomona is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Pomona College
Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Washington University in St Louis
Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Claremont McKenna College
Colgate is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Hamilton.
Those political science and government students who get their bachelor's degree from Colgate University make $19,735 more than the standard political science grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Colgate University
Bates is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Lewiston.
Bachelor's recipients from the political science and government program at Bates College get $3,435 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Bates College
Located in the large city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the political science and government program at Barnard College earn $9,135 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Barnard College
Located in the town of Lexington, Washington and Lee is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Washington and Lee University receive an earnings boost of about $6,035 over the typical income of political science and government graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Washington and Lee University
Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Princeton.
Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Princeton University receive an earnings boost of approximately $14,435 above the average earnings of political science and government majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Princeton University
Amherst is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Amherst.
Those political science and government students who get their bachelor's degree from Amherst College earn $16,035 more than the average political science graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science and government from Amherst CollegeRest of the Top 50 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 761 different United States political science and government schools we analyzed.
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
Political Science & Government by Region
View the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Other Rankings
Best Associate Degrees
in Political Science & Government
Best Doctorate Degrees
in Political Science & Government
Best Value
in Political Science & Government
Best for Non-Traditional Students
in Political Science & Government
Best Online
in Political Science & Government
Most Popular Online
in Political Science & Government
Best Master's Degrees
in Political Science & Government
Best Overall
in Political Science & Government
Highest Paid Grads
in Political Science & Government
Best for Veterans
in Political Science & Government
Most Popular
in Political Science & Government
Most Focused
in Political Science & Government
Political Science & Government Related Rankings by Major
Political Science & Government is one of 12 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
Political Science Focus Areas
Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Political Science | 41,915 |
Other Political Science & Government | 1,016 |
Political Economy | 293 |
American Government & Politics (United States) | 161 |
Most Popular Related Majors
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Economics | 40,046 |
Sociology | 29,491 |
International Relations & National Security | 9,567 |
Anthropology | 9,280 |
Criminology | 8,860 |
General Social Sciences | 6,589 |
Geography & Cartography | 4,655 |
Other Social Sciences | 1,772 |
Urban Studies | 1,041 |
Sociology & Anthropology | 498 |
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UKWiki at English Wikipedia. More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools
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Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |