2023 Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Political Science & Government School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, political science and government was ranked #20 in the country. In fact 49,282 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 95 schools in the Great Lakes Region 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 the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Political Science & Government Colleges.
Top 15% Best Political Science & Government Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the Great Lakes Region for political science and government students. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.
After completing their degree, political science graduates from Notre Dame carry an average student debtload of $19,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $376, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePauw University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. DePauw is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Greencastle.
After completing their degree, political science graduates from DePauw carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Political Science & Government at DePauw University Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for political science and government students. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.
While working on their degree, political science majors at Northwestern accumulate an average of around $18,500 in student debt.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Chicago is a great place for political science and government students. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
On average, political science graduates from UChicago take out $13,632 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Denison University is a great place for political science and government students. Located in the small suburb of Granville, Denison is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Kenyon College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for political science and government students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the distant town of Gambier, Kenyon is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Wabash College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of Crawfordsville, Wabash is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, political science graduates from Wabash carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best political science and government programs. U-M is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor.
After completing their degree, political science graduates from U-M carry an average student debtload of $18,179. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $430.
Full Political Science & Government at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report
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Oberlin College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of Oberlin, Oberlin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that political science majors at Oberlin take out is $24,328.
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Lake Forest College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best political science and government programs. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Forest.
The average amount in student loans that political science majors at Lake Forest take out is $27,000.
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Wheaton College Illinois came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for political science and government students. UW - Madison is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Madison.
On average, political science graduates from UW - Madison take out $21,655 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $317.
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Marquette University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
On average, political science graduates from Marquette take out $23,976 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $382, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #14 on this year’s Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - River Falls is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of River Falls.
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Here are some additional great schools for Political Science & Government students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
| 16 | University of Dayton | Dayton, OH |
| 17 | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH |
| 18 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 19 | Saint Norbert College | De Pere, WI |
Best Political Science & Government Colleges by State
Explore the best political science and government schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,044 |
| Ohio | 1,433 |
| Illinois | 1,470 |
| Indiana | 798 |
| Wisconsin | 925 |
More Political Science & Government Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
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.