If you debate your friends and family about Supreme Court nominations and you are always glued to CNN, a career in political science might be your ideal profession. Graduates of the best political science schools have rewarding careers as policy and intelligence analysts, legislative assistants, public relations specialists, and political consultants, to name a few.
By studying how laws are made and the comparative structures of governments worldwide, political science majors plan public policy to positively impact the social and economic status of the populace.
Facts about the Best Political Science Schools
The best political science schools first provide students with a well-rounded liberal arts education and then teaches students about the different sub-fields of political science. By learning how to gain power, how to plan and execute campaigns, and how to influence public opinion, political science majors can develop different models for leadership while maintaining a historical perspective in relation to the effectiveness of each approach.
1. What Is Political Science?
Political science is an academic discipline that seeks to understand the exercise of power in a variety of settings. Organized into four main areas of study (also called sub-fields), political science majors will study American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.
2. Types of Political Science Careers
Graduates with a degree in political science have a good foundation for a wide variety of professions or advanced studies. By having a core liberal arts education, your skills in analytical reading, research, analysis, and writing will make students good candidates for a job in almost any area, including business, finance, consulting, government work, the foreign service, and teaching.
If you plan to attend graduate school for law, business, social work, education, international affairs, or political science itself, a degree from one of the best political science schools will set you apart from the competition.
3. Features of the Best Political Science Schools
When looking for the best political science schools, a curriculum that helps you develop strong writing and research skills, while also generating papers about the political sphere, will act as good training for your future career. Learning how to make a convincing argument — and then backing it up with facts — is one way that political science majors hone their presentation and verbal communication skills.
Besides refining your analytical skills, the best political science schools develop a student’s ability to think critically. Critical thinking is crucial for evaluating a political party’s platform and the impact of leadership changes.
How We Reviewed
To help you choose the best political science schools, we picked 10 institutions that consistently rank highly and included program features, pros and cons, the cost to attend, and a website where you can learn more.
Overall Price Range for the Best Political Science Schools
The cost of an education from the best political science schools isn’t cheap, but the long-term payoff in career opportunities will be well worth it. On paper, the best political science schools we evaluated all cost between $$ and $$$ a year. However, all of these schools use need-based admissions and actively work to make sure no student turns down the opportunity to enroll because it is too expensive.
What We Reviewed
Georgetown University
Tuition
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Our Rating
Program Description
Located in the heart of U.S. politics and government, Georgetown University is a highly rated private Catholic university in Washington, D.C. Georgetown’s Department of Government offers undergraduate students the opportunity to major in government or political economy.
Besides its honors program—an intensive, three-semester program of closely mentored research and writing that culminates in a thesis senior year—the Government Department also offers students the opportunity to take part in Delta Eta, Georgetown’s Pi Sigma Alpha Chapter of the national political science society.
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Tuition
The yearly cost to attend Georgetown University is approximately $$$, a figure that includes tuition and fees, housing and meals, books, travel, and personal expenses.
Columbia University in the City of New York
Tuition
$$$
Our Rating
Program Description
Undergraduate students at Columbia University interested in majoring political science have multiple options in structuring their degree. Students will choose one subfield as their primary political science specialization and a secondary subfield.
Besides subfield coursework, undergraduate students in Columbia College’s Political Science Department complete an additional four-point seminar, a course in research methods, and a political science elective of their choosing. The Political Science Student Association is the only non-partisan political group on Columbia’s campus and connects students with the Political Science Department and faculty.
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Tuition
Yearly tuition and fees for political science majors at Columbia College is approximately $$. In addition, room and board are approximately $ per year and books and personal expenses around $—bringing the total cost to attend Columbia in NYC at around $$$.
Princeton University
Tuition
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Our Rating
Program Description
Princeton University is an elite Ivy League institution in New Jersey. With one of the largest undergraduate programs devoted to political science studies, Princeton’s Department of Politics offers approximately 50 regular courses to undergraduates—making it one of the best political science schools in the country.
Princeton organizes its undergraduate political science teachings into four primary fields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Students can also concentrate in qualitative analysis, political economy, and strategy in politics.
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Tuition
The estimated yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $$$ which breaks down into approximately $$ in tuition and fees and $ for room and board, books, and personal expenses.
Washington University in St. Louis
Tuition
$$$
Our Rating
Program Description
Considered one of the best political science schools in the country, undergraduates at Washington University in St. Louis can major or minor in the field. The Department of Political Science in Washington University in St. Louis’s College of Arts & Science has many sub-field studies, including American politics, comparative politics, international politics, political and social theory, environmental policy, and formal and mathematical approaches.
The school encourages political science undergraduates to take part in research and join Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honor society for students in political science.
PROS
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CONS
Tuition
The estimated yearly cost to attend Washington University in St. Louis is approximately $$$. Tuition and fees account for approximately $$ of the total, while room and board take up around $.
George Washington University
Tuition
$$$
Our Rating
Program Description
Located in Washington, D.C., George Washington University’s Department of Political Science ranks as one of the best political science schools in the country. With nationally recognized undergraduate programs, students in the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences study sub-fields of American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.
The department also offers five combined Bachelor’s/Master’s programs in Political Science, Legislative Affairs, Public Administration, Public Policy, and Political Management.
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CONS
Tuition
The estimated yearly cost to attend George Washington University ranges from $$ for students living at home and $$$ for students living on the main campus.
Harvard University
Tuition
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Our Rating
Program Description
As one of the most famous institutions in the world, Harvard University’s undergraduate program in government is also one of the best political science schools in the country. Part of Harvard College, the Government Department gives students the option to pursue political science as their primary, secondary, or as a joint concentration.
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Tuition
The estimated yearly cost of attending Harvard is approximately $$$, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees.
The University of Pennsylvania
Tuition
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Our Rating
Program Description
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is a private institution in Philadelphia and is one of the eight Ivy League schools. For undergraduates interested in majoring in political science, the Political Science Department in the school’s Arts & Science College is one of the best political science schools in the country.
Besides learning alongside world-renowned faculty members, political science majors at Penn take part in career internships, study abroad, and join alumni organizations like Penn in Washington and the Fox Leadership Program.
PROS
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CONS
Tuition
The estimated yearly cost to attend the University of Pennsylvania is approximately $$ for undergraduates living on campus, $$$ for undergraduates living off campus, and $$$ for undergraduates living at home with family.
Yale University
Tuition
$$$
Our Rating
Program Description
Political science at Yale is one of the most popular undergraduate majors and faculty teaches students whose scholarship and teaching span across the subfields of the discipline and the countries around the world. Long considered one of the best political science schools in the country, Yale’s political science department provides students with seminars, lecture courses, research opportunities, and resources for fieldwork projects.
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Tuition
The estimated yearly cost to attend Yale is $$$. Tuition and fees account for around $$$ while room, board, and books/personal expenses account for $.
Dartmouth College
Tuition
$$$
Our Rating
Program Description
The Department of Government at Dartmouth College prides itself on having an intensive student-faculty interaction that comes with a college but resembles a university because faculty are research-oriented and as productive and eminent as their counterparts at large research universities.
Political science students at Dartmouth College enjoy this hybrid model and regularly have informal discussions and collaborate with professors. As one of the eight Ivy League schools, Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and is one of the best political science schools in the country.
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Tuition
The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is approximately $$$. Tuition and fees account for $$$, while housing, food, books, and personal expenses account for approximately $.
Duke University
Tuition
$$$
Our Rating
Program Description
The Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke University is home to one of the best political science schools in the country. Many Duke undergraduates major in political science while also complimenting it with other programs, such as classical studies, economics, history, and mathematics.
Graduates of Duke’s political science program are highly successful and pursue careers in a wide variety of fields. Part of North Carolina’s research triangle, Duke places a heavy emphasis on research and the school’s political science faculty are leaders in their fields.
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Tuition
The yearly cost to attend Duke is approximately $$$. Tuition and fees account for $$$, while room, board, books, and personal expenses account for $.
Best Political Science Schools: The Verdict
When it comes time to make a final decision about which school you will attend — and major and career path you plan to pursue — it is important to consider your own unique values, skills, personality traits, and interests. A school that is a perfect fit for one political science major might not be a good choice for someone else.
While each of the schools on our list has competitive admissions and practice need-blind admissions, political science majors will quickly realize that networking is a big part of being successful. Schools in major cities, like Georgetown and George Washington in Washington, D.C. or Columbia in New York City, make it easier for students to pursue opportunities with nearby government agencies, businesses, and research institutions.
Remember, education is an investment and you always want to maximize your return; choosing one of the best political science schools will open many opportunities after you graduate and embark on your career.