2023 Best Political Science & Government Schools in California
Finding the Best Political Science & Government School for You
With 8,494 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, political science and government is the #14 most popular major in California.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Political Science & Government Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 63 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured Political Science & Government Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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.
2023 Best Political Science & Government Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Political Science & Government Colleges.
Top 10 Best Political Science & Government Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Claremont McKenna College the best school in California for political science and government students. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Political Science & Government Schools in California list. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Political Science & Government Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Clara University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Schools in California list. Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their degree, political science majors at SCU accumulate an average of around $24,500 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Schools in California list. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.
After completing their degree, political science graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $13,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $233.
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Claremont Graduate University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Political Science & Government Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best political science and government programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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University of Southern California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for political science and government students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, political science majors at USC accumulate an average of around $15,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $471.
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Occidental College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for political science and government students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Oxy is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, political science majors at Oxy accumulate an average of around $21,384 in student debt.
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University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for political science and government students. It came in at #10 on the list. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the city of Los Angeles.
After completing their degree, political science graduates from UCLA carry an average student debtload of $15,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $263.
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Here are some additional great schools for Political Science & Government students in the state of California that almost earned our Best Political Science & Government Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 12 | Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA |
Best Political Science & Government Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 984 |
| Oregon | 543 |
| Nevada | 224 |
| Hawaii | 141 |
| Alaska | 16 |
More Political Science & Government Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Political Science
Political Science & Government is one of 12 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Political Science
| 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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