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Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools

2023 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools

649 Colleges
$33,885 Avg Salary
$23,172 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 49,282 people earned a degree or certificate in political science and government, making the major the #20 most popular in the United States.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 649 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States

The following schools top our list of the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Top 25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Political Science & Government

#1

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

Our analysis found Claremont McKenna College to be the best school for political science and government students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.

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#2

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

Out of the 649 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowdoin College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the fringe town of Brunswick, Bowdoin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $450, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#3

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

Out of the 649 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the remote town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, political science majors at Dartmouth accumulate an average of around $17,252 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $703.

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#4

Rice University

Houston, TX

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that political science majors at Rice take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $15,878.

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#5

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Williamstown.

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#6

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

Bates College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Bates is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lewiston.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, political science graduates from Bates carry an average student debtload of $11,824.

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Washington and Lee University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Lexington.

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#8

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Yale University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree political science and government programs. Located in the city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Political Science majors at Yale take out an average of $16,160 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

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#9

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

With a ranking of #9, Cornell University did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that political science majors at Cornell take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $14,444. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $851.

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#10

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

With a ranking of #10, Pomona College did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Pomona is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Political Science & Government at Pomona College Report

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#11

Brown University

Providence, RI

Brown University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Brown is a large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Providence.

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#12

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

With a ranking of #12, University of Notre Dame did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $376.

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#13

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

Wake Forest University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for political science and government students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

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#14

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA

With a ranking of #14, Bucknell University did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Bucknell is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Lewisburg.

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#15

Duke University

Durham, NC

With a ranking of #15, Duke University did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

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#16

Amherst College

Amherst, MA

Amherst College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree political science and government programs. Amherst is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Amherst.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, political science graduates from Amherst carry an average student debtload of $14,438.

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#17

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Stanford University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Stanford.

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#18

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

With a ranking of #18, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Baltimore.

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#19

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree political science and government programs. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

On average, political science graduates from UPenn take out $14,795 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

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#20

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for political science and government students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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#21

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

DePauw University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for political science and government students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in the town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#22

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

With a ranking of #22, Vanderbilt University did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that political science majors at Vanderbilt take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $10,874.

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#23

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, political science graduates from UChicago carry an average student debtload of $14,387.

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#24

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

With a ranking of #24, Northwestern University did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, political science majors at Northwestern accumulate an average of around $17,936 in student debt.

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#25

Lafayette College

Easton, PA

Lafayette College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree political science and government programs. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Easton.

This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $616, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Political Science & Government at Lafayette College Report

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Rest of the Top 50 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools

#26

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA
#27

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ
#28

Georgetown University

Washington, DC
#29

Trinity College

Hartford, CT
#30

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY
#31

Barnard College

New York, NY
#32

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA
#34

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY
#35

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD
#36

Haverford College

Haverford, PA
#37

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA
#38

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
#39

Denison University

Granville, OH
#41

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX
#42

Kenyon College

Gambier, OH
#43

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA
#44

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA
#45

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT
#46

Wabash College

Crawfordsville, IN
#50

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN

Remaining Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 649 different United States political science and government schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Villanova University Villanova, PA
52 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
53 Florida Southern College Lakeland, FL
54 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
55 Colby College Waterville, ME
56 Tufts University Medford, MA
57 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
58 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
59 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
60 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
61 New York University New York, NY
62 Lycoming College Williamsport, PA
63 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
64 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
65 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
66 Emory University Atlanta, GA
67 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
68 Furman University Greenville, SC
69 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
70 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
71 Niagara University Niagara University, NY
72 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
73 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
74 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
75 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
76 Roanoke College Salem, VA
77 Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA
78 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
79 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
80 Elon University Elon, NC
81 George Washington University Washington, DC
82 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
83 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
84 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
85 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
86 American University Washington, DC
87 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
88 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
89 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
90 Cabrini University Radnor, PA
91 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
92 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
93 Washington College Chestertown, MD
94 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
95 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
96 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
97 American Public University System Charles Town, WV

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.

Rank College Location
98 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
99 University of Delaware Newark, DE
100 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
101 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
102 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
103 University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK
104 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
105 Smith College Northampton, MA
106 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
107 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
108 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
109 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
110 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
111 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
112 Spelman College Atlanta, GA
113 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
114 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
115 Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA
116 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
117 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
118 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
119 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
120 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
121 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
122 Clemson University Clemson, SC
123 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
124 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
125 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
126 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
127 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
128 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
129 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA

Political Science & Government by Region

View the Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 12 majors within the area of study, political science and government has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 49,055
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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.

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