Best Colleges for Political Science

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Discover the best schools for Political Science and Government programs in the United States, as we break down the pros and cons of the top-ranked institutions.

Pros and Cons of the Top 5 Schools:

1. Harvard University

Pros: Highest new grad median pay ($58,808) and competitive early career pay ($64,803) Prestigious Ivy League reputation and strong alumni network Renowned faculty members and world-class research facilities

Cons: High cost of tuition and living expenses Extremely competitive admission process

2. Trinity College

Pros: Excellent new grad median pay ($57,856) and early career pay ($63,453) Small class sizes for personalized attention Close-knit campus community Cons: Limited research opportunities compared to larger institutions Less diverse student body

3. Yale University

Pros: High early career pay ($67,636), reflecting strong career prospects Prestigious Ivy League reputation and global recognition Wide range of interdisciplinary opportunities and resources

Cons: High cost of tuition and living expenses Extremely competitive admission process

4. Dartmouth College

Pros: Highest early career pay ($75,463) among the top 20 schools Close-knit campus community and strong alumni network Excellent faculty-to-student ratio

Cons: Located in a rural area, which may not suit everyone’s preferences High cost of tuition and living expenses

5. DePauw University

Pros: Small class sizes for personalized attention Strong liberal arts focus

Cons: Early career pay data unavailable, making it difficult to gauge career prospects Limited research opportunities compared to larger institutions

Rank School Program New Grad Median Pay Early Career Pay Sample Size
1 Harvard University Political Science and Government $58,808 $64,803 68
2 Trinity College Political Science and Government $57,856 $63,453 38
3 Yale University Political Science and Government $57,333 $67,636 67
4 Dartmouth College Political Science and Government $57,095 $75,463 133
5 DePauw University Political Science and Government $53,214 N/A 21
6 University of Maryland Global Campus Political Science and Government $52,749 $48,696 44
7 Santa Clara University Political Science and Government $52,109 $53,866 50
8 Columbia University in the City of New York Political Science and Government $52,096 $61,253 156
9 Johns Hopkins University Political Science and Government $52,083 $56,579 28
10 Bowdoin College Political Science and Government $51,934 $60,473 65
11 Cornell University Political Science and Government $51,469 $40,155 92
12 Amherst College Political Science and Government $51,419 $46,160 35
13 Georgetown University Political Science and Government $51,297 $60,548 204
14 Middlebury College Political Science and Government $51,074 $62,953 39
15 Bates College Political Science and Government $50,568 $53,638 46
16 Brown University Political Science and Government $50,186 $62,581 49
17 University of Pennsylvania Political Science and Government $49,929 $59,951 78
18 Wake Forest University Political Science and Government $49,727 $60,635 54
19 Bucknell University Political Science and Government $49,507 $57,352 50
20 Barnard College Political Science and Government $48,807 $67,484 33
21 Hamilton College Political Science and Government $48,577 $56,960 27
22 New York University Political Science and Government $48,488 $57,554 103
23 University of Chicago Political Science and Government $48,082 $51,312 72
24 Williams College Political Science and Government $47,987 N/A 53
25 Hobart William Smith Colleges Political Science and Government $47,695 N/A 44
26 Washington and Lee University Political Science and Government $47,231 $45,285 38
27 Texas Christian University Political Science and Government $46,860 $48,615 55
28 American Public University System Political Science and Government $46,663 $54,342 36
29 Augustana University Political Science and Government $46,610 N/A 16
30 Lafayette College Political Science and Government $46,408 $57,092 47
31 Stanford University Political Science and Government $46,407 N/A 30
32 Northwestern University Political Science and Government $45,960 $55,447 84
33 Boston College Political Science and Government $45,951 $50,892 136
34 Washington University in St Louis Political Science and Government $45,909 N/A 21
35 Northeastern University Professional Programs Political Science and Government $45,238 $52,748 106
36 American University Political Science and Government $45,217 $54,413 155
37 Wabash College Political Science and Government $45,148 $46,455 18
38 University of Virginia-Main Campus Political Science and Government $45,129 $56,434 83
39 Tufts University Political Science and Government $44,879 $55,485 43
40 Roanoke College Political Science and Government $44,873 N/A 22
41 Lake Forest College Political Science and Government $44,630 $42,995 25
42 College of the Holy Cross Political Science and Government $44,436 $58,346 91
43 Washington College Political Science and Government $44,214 $42,941 16
44 George Washington University Political Science and Government $44,076 $57,918 235
45 Colby College Political Science and Government $43,972 $55,529 31
46 Vanderbilt University Political Science and Government $43,927 $52,615 48
47 William & Mary Political Science and Government $43,630 $51,824 111
48 Connecticut College Political Science and Government $43,434 $54,040 28
49 University of Rochester Political Science and Government $43,431 N/A 39
50 Kenyon College Political Science and Government $43,334 N/A 23
51 Duke University Political Science and Government $43,130 $68,481 56
52 Swarthmore College Political Science and Government $43,119 $44,841 24
53 University of Notre Dame Political Science and Government $43,036 $55,660 96
54 Brandeis University Political Science and Government $42,983 $49,523 64
55 George Mason University Political Science and Government $42,975 $49,321 174
56 Colgate University Political Science and Government $42,813 $60,399 28
57 University of Maryland-College Park Political Science and Government $42,670 $51,160 191
58 Union College Political Science and Government $42,375 $44,570 31
58 Union College Political Science and Government $42,375 $44,570 31
58 Union College Political Science and Government $42,375 $44,570 31
61 Occidental College Political Science and Government $42,360 $49,843 23
62 Mount Holyoke College Political Science and Government $42,150 $44,038 20
63 Ashford University Political Science and Government $42,042 $39,265 40
64 The Catholic University of America Political Science and Government $41,721 $52,313 67
65 Pepperdine University Political Science and Government $41,350 N/A 34
66 Haverford College Political Science and Government $41,162 N/A 21
67 University of Southern California Political Science and Government $41,043 $48,560 94
68 Brigham Young University Political Science and Government $41,028 $52,654 65
69 St Lawrence University Political Science and Government $40,977 $50,505 39
70 Stonehill College Political Science and Government $40,781 $47,381 33
71 Smith College Political Science and Government $40,776 $43,120 61
72 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Political Science and Government $40,625 $53,177 279
73 University of California-Berkeley Political Science and Government $40,526 $50,498 308
74 University of Richmond Political Science and Government $40,110 $48,824 30
75 Wheaton College Political Science and Government $40,082 N/A 16
76 Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Political Science and Government $40,034 $52,206 25
77 Gustavus Adolphus College Political Science and Government $39,638 $39,885 29
78 Seattle University Political Science and Government $39,495 $43,045 29
79 Saint Johns University Political Science and Government $39,348 $49,541 34
80 Miami University-Oxford Political Science and Government $39,311 $50,722 113
81 Syracuse University Political Science and Government $39,308 $49,569 144
82 Elon University Political Science and Government $39,293 $58,053 23
83 University of Massachusetts-Boston Political Science and Government $39,273 $41,516 72
84 The University of Texas at Dallas Political Science and Government $39,215 $44,953 29
85 Boston University Political Science and Government $39,106 $44,518 88
86 Villanova University Political Science and Government $39,029 $58,052 87
87 College of Saint Benedict Political Science and Government $39,024 N/A 28
88 Marist College Political Science and Government $39,009 $52,225 30
89 Chapman University Political Science and Government $38,955 $51,129 60
90 Vassar College Political Science and Government $38,929 $43,616 48
91 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Political Science and Government $38,924 $49,110 71
92 Norwich University Political Science and Government $38,870 $54,836 26
93 Saint Joseph’s University Political Science and Government $38,838 N/A 25
94 University of San Francisco Political Science and Government $38,767 $36,310 42
95 University of Mary Washington Political Science and Government $38,764 $48,384 36
96 Liberty University Political Science and Government $38,561 $43,446 90
97 Randolph-Macon College Political Science and Government $38,559 $47,953 27
98 Spelman College Political Science and Government $38,532 $38,350 31
99 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Political Science and Government $38,529 $55,387 129
100 Saint Anselm College Political Science and Government $38,524 N/A 33
101 St Olaf College Political Science and Government $38,398 $41,551 45
102 Hofstra University Political Science and Government $38,345 $46,762 49
103 Dickinson College Political Science and Government $38,322 $43,711 35
104 The University of the South Political Science and Government $38,235 $52,168 19
105 Clemson University Political Science and Government $38,210 $48,196 69
106 Siena College Political Science and Government $38,154 $38,975 29
107 Marquette University Political Science and Government $38,070 $52,681 51
108 Kansas State University Political Science and Government $38,005 N/A 33
109 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Political Science and Government $38,001 $46,832 198
110 Pace University Political Science and Government $37,984 $43,100 30
111 Rider University Political Science and Government $37,933 N/A 18
112 Christopher Newport University Political Science and Government $37,880 $46,989 82
113 Princeton University Political Science and Government $37,831 $66,134 47
114 Binghamton University Political Science and Government $37,730 $48,382 111
115 Wellesley College Political Science and Government $37,693 $46,471 41
116 University of Delaware Political Science and Government $37,692 $45,725 122
117 University of Dayton Political Science and Government $37,605 $48,067 28
118 Arizona State University-West Political Science and Government $37,568 $47,189 382
119 The University of Texas at Austin Political Science and Government $37,562 $49,790 284
120 Metropolitan State University of Denver Political Science and Government $37,549 $38,052 52
121 San Francisco State University Political Science and Government $37,487 $51,336 117
122 DePaul University Political Science and Government $37,484 $40,858 115
123 Pennsylvania State University-World Campus Political Science and Government $37,482 $42,274 153
124 University of Vermont Political Science and Government $37,373 $41,257 86
125 Fordham University Political Science and Government $37,353 $46,067 121
126 University of Iowa Political Science and Government $37,220 $46,097 74
127 Emory University Political Science and Government $37,188 $50,214 51
128 Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Political Science and Government $37,170 $46,315 35
129 Grand Canyon University Political Science and Government $37,086 N/A 25
130 University of Utah Political Science and Government $37,073 $48,627 89
131 Salem State University Political Science and Government $37,013 N/A 17
132 California State University-East Bay Political Science and Government $37,003 $51,115 51
133 Central Washington University Political Science and Government $37,000 N/A 26
134 College of Staten Island CUNY Political Science and Government $36,924 N/A 28
135 University of Massachusetts-Lowell Political Science and Government $36,914 N/A 47
136 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Political Science and Government $36,851 $48,341 121
137 Seton Hall University Political Science and Government $36,831 $37,134 32
138 Louisiana Tech University Political Science and Government $36,692 N/A 18
139 San Jose State University Political Science and Government $36,650 $46,047 30
140 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Political Science and Government $36,613 $45,719 383
141 University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Political Science and Government $36,557 N/A 28
142 SUNY Oneonta Political Science and Government $36,486 N/A 23
143 Northwest Missouri State University Political Science and Government $36,472 N/A 17
144 Sonoma State University Political Science and Government $36,428 N/A 26
145 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Political Science and Government $36,359 $47,549 205
146 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Political Science and Government $36,350 $37,499 43
147 Providence College Political Science and Government $36,317 $52,717 53
148 Suffolk University Political Science and Government $36,298 $47,870 45
149 University of North Florida Political Science and Government $36,260 $35,271 79
150 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Political Science and Government $36,226 N/A 40

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