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2025 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia

20 Colleges in Virginia
1,621 Bachelor's Degrees
$39,772 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #12 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 reviewed 20 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of political science & government. Combined, these schools handed out 1,621 bachelor's degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia The political science bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

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

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for political science & government students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Political Science Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in Virginia 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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in Virginia

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science & government.

10 Top Virginia Schools for a Bachelor's in Political Science

1

University of Virginia - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in political science & government. University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Charlottesville.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn a boost of approximately $6,103 above the average income of political science & government majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Virginia - Main Campus

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
200 Annual Graduates
$42,114 Median Starting Salary
$36,510 Median Student Debt

Virginia Tech is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.

Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government degree program at Virginia Tech make $2,342 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Virginia Tech

3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
190 Annual Graduates
$41,317 Median Starting Salary
$46,000 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat William & Mary if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science & government. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg.

After graduating, political science bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $41,317 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from William & Mary

4
180 Annual Graduates
$45,846 Median Starting Salary
$55,871 Median Student Debt

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in political science & government needs to check out George Mason University. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from George Mason University get an earnings boost of approximately $6,074 over the typical earnings of political science & government majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from George Mason University

5
70 Annual Graduates

Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lexington.More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Washington and Lee University

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
110 Annual Graduates
$42,128 Median Starting Salary
$43,192 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population.

Those political science & government students who get their bachelor's degree from James Madison University receive $2,356 more than the typical political science graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from James Madison University

7
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA

Located in the midsize city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Those political science & government students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Richmond receive $3,481 more than the standard political science graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Richmond

8
159 Annual Graduates
$34,080 Median Starting Salary
$19,104 Median Student Debt

VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond.

After graduating, political science bachelor's recipients usually make around $34,080 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Virginia Commonwealth University

9
61 Annual Graduates
$43,508 Median Starting Salary
$31,308 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population.

Political Science & Government bachelor's degree recipients from Christopher Newport University receive an earnings boost of around $3,736 above the average earnings of political science & government majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Christopher Newport University

10
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
12 Annual Graduates

Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize suburb of Salem.More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Roanoke College

Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 225 2,430
Georgia 224 1,125
Tennessee 220 694
North Carolina 213 1,695
South Carolina 195 756
Kentucky 187 425
Alabama 184 561
Louisiana 171 558
Mississippi 169 268
Arkansas 167 289
West Virginia 147 245

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Political Science & Government is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Political Science Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science 1,435
Other Political Science & Government 186

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 1,159
Sociology 808
International Relations & National Security 771
Geography & Cartography 173
Anthropology 160
General Social Sciences 98
Urban Studies 23
Sociology & Anthropology 16
Archeology 2

Notes and References

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