College Rankings

Best Political Science Schools

The top 25 of 528 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Political Science degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Political Science worth it?

The payoff for a political science degree is incredibly polarized. At the highest echelon, this major is an absolute powerhouse, acting as a premier pipeline into management consulting, investment banking, and elite law schools. If you attend a globally recognized private university, the degree pays for itself rapidly through sheer network power and prestige recruitment. However, outside of that elite bubble, the major can be financially risky if you overpay. For the average student, the clearest path to a strong return on investment is at low-cost, regional public universities that feed directly into state capitols, local agencies, or regional business hubs without burying you in debt.

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#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	Princeton University	NJ	76	$63,317	$6,128	+$609K
2	Harvard University	MA	75	$61,543	$19,066	+$539K
3	Yale University	CT	73	$57,466	$23,777	+$480K
4	Columbia University in the City of New York	NY	72	$61,077	$21,590	+$524K
5	Bowdoin College	ME	72	$60,626	$14,398	+$549K
6	Williams College	MA	72	$56,817	$17,716	+$497K
7	University of Chicago	IL	72	$56,022	$14,860	+$501K
8	Rice University	TX	72	$54,728	$13,370	+$494K
9	University of Pennsylvania	PA	71	$65,473	$28,699	+$540K
10	Colby College	ME	71	$54,353	$17,180	+$475K
11	Dartmouth College	NH	70	$72,618	$29,519	+$608K
12	Stanford University	CA	70	$59,297	$13,807	+$538K
13	Vanderbilt University	TN	69	$46,843	$15,846	+$405K
14	Amherst College	MA	67	$61,125	$23,367	+$518K
15	Duke University	NC	67	$54,970	$29,612	+$431K
16	Barnard College	NY	66	$57,298	$28,800	+$458K
17	Colgate University	NY	66	$56,064	$28,786	+$445K
18	Brigham Young University	UT	66	$47,020	$15,564	+$408K
19	University of California-Berkeley	CA	66	$45,418	$13,481†	+$400K
20	Cornell University	NY	65	$60,292	$28,690	+$488K
21	California State University-East Bay	CA	65	$40,460	$9,320†	+$367K
22	Brown University	RI	64	$54,634	$25,184	+$446K
23	University of Virginia-Main Campus	VA	64	$45,875	$21,565†	+$372K
24	CUNY Lehman College	NY	64	$43,059	$3,148†	+$418K
25	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	64	$42,688	$15,678†	+$364K
26	University of Maryland Global Campus	MD	63	$62,476	$22,063†	+$537K
27	University of Notre Dame	IN	63	$55,316	$26,780	+$446K
28	George Mason University	VA	63	$45,846	$17,915†	+$387K
29	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus	WA	63	$41,246	$10,163†	+$372K
30	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	63	$41,200	$11,655†	+$365K
31	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	63	$39,702	$13,138†	+$344K
32	Utah Valley University	UT	63	$36,857	$6,376†	+$343K
33	Hamilton College	NY	62	$58,807	$28,985	+$472K
34	University of Washington-Bothell Campus	WA	62	$41,246	$12,319†	+$363K
35	Wake Forest University	NC	61	$47,161	$28,719	+$357K
36	Connecticut College	CT	61	$46,588	$36,175	+$321K
37	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	61	$42,481	$14,967†	+$365K
38	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	61	$38,753	$3,925†	+$372K
39	University of New Hampshire at Manchester	NH	61	$38,435	$9,992†	+$344K
40	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus	CT	61	$37,009	$10,875†	+$327K
41	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	CA	61	$37,003	$16,665†	+$303K
42	Lehigh University	PA	60	$53,632	$36,931	+$389K
43	Norwich University	VT	60	$43,988	$22,257	+$351K
44	William & Mary	VA	60	$41,317	$19,096†	+$337K
45	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	60	$41,246	$14,091†	+$356K
46	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	60	$39,708	$14,600†	+$339K
47	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	60	$38,753	$5,755†	+$365K
48	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	60	$38,753	$5,993†	+$364K
49	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	60	$38,753	$5,650†	+$365K
50	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	60	$38,753	$5,746†	+$365K
51	Northwestern University	IL	59	$54,737	$29,167	+$431K
52	George Washington University	DC	59	$51,537	$36,586	+$369K
53	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	59	$42,063	$17,354†	+$351K
54	University of Dallas	TX	59	$41,639	$22,610	+$326K
55	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre	PA	59	$41,201	$16,448†	+$346K
56	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	CO	59	$40,272	$11,900†	+$355K
57	University of Georgia	GA	59	$39,842	$13,936†	+$343K
58	University of California-Santa Barbara	CA	59	$39,404	$16,109†	+$330K
59	University of Connecticut-Avery Point	CT	59	$37,009	$13,807†	+$315K
60	San Francisco State University	CA	59	$36,502	$12,278†	+$316K
61	California State University-Sacramento	CA	59	$36,189	$9,338†	+$325K
62	CUNY Hunter College	NY	59	$35,154	$2,984†	+$340K
63	Georgetown University	DC	58	$55,247	$40,815	+$389K
64	Bucknell University	PA	58	$53,012	$40,766	+$367K
65	Northeastern University	MA	58	$52,516	$30,915	+$402K
66	New York University	NY	58	$50,783	$37,050	+$360K
67	University of the District of Columbia	DC	58	$49,935	$10,648†	+$457K
68	Union College	NY	58	$49,759	$34,561	+$359K
69	Troy University	AL	58	$46,279	$16,527†	+$397K
70	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	58	$43,281	$19,857†	+$353K
71	California State University-Chico	CA	58	$41,893	$14,480†	+$361K
72	San Diego State University	CA	58	$38,060	$15,364†	+$319K
73	CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice	NY	58	$35,828	$3,203†	+$345K
74	CUNY Queens College	NY	58	$34,863	$4,195†	+$332K
75	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	58	$34,392	$12,548†	+$294K
76	Tufts University	MA	57	$67,713	$39,998	+$517K
77	Southern Methodist University	TX	57	$52,160	$40,892	+$358K
78	Lafayette College	PA	57	$48,112	$34,433	+$343K
79	University of Utah	UT	57	$45,112	$16,200†	+$386K
80	Citadel Military College of South Carolina	SC	57	$44,992	$20,723†	+$367K
81	Towson University	MD	57	$42,648	$17,413†	+$357K
82	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York	PA	57	$41,201	$19,047†	+$336K
83	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus	PA	57	$41,201	$19,550†	+$334K
84	Washington State University	WA	57	$41,130	$14,971†	+$351K
85	Swarthmore College	PA	57	$40,449	$23,149	+$312K
86	Rutgers University-Camden	NJ	57	$39,723	$18,745†	+$322K
87	Michigan State University	MI	57	$39,514	$19,680†	+$316K
88	University of North Georgia	GA	57	$37,227	$9,823†	+$333K
89	University of Connecticut-Stamford	CT	57	$37,009	$16,798†	+$303K
90	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	CT	57	$37,009	$16,403†	+$304K
91	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	57	$35,172	$14,355†	+$294K
92	Florida State University	FL	57	$34,745	$11,297†	+$302K
93	College of Staten Island CUNY	NY	57	$34,610	$5,579†	+$324K
94	Boston College	MA	56	$46,764	$41,704	+$301K
95	Suffolk University	MA	56	$44,845	$29,618	+$330K
96	Bridgewater State University	MA	56	$42,476	$16,383†	+$359K
97	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	56	$39,723	$19,703†	+$318K
98	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	56	$38,363	$10,974†	+$340K
99	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	56	$36,535	$11,668†	+$319K
100	Stony Brook University	NY	56	$36,480	$18,784†	+$290K
101	Florida Gulf Coast University	FL	56	$35,578	$12,568†	+$306K
102	University of Florida	FL	56	$31,574	$6,541†	+$290K
103	College of the Holy Cross	MA	55	$47,029	$38,782	+$315K
104	Emory University	GA	55	$46,629	$22,585	+$376K
105	Boston University	MA	55	$45,021	$24,402	+$353K
106	Whitworth University	WA	55	$43,933	$26,534	+$333K
107	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	MA	55	$43,545	$22,383†	+$346K
108	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	VA	55	$42,114	$24,953†	+$321K
109	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona	PA	55	$41,201	$22,213†	+$323K
110	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	55	$40,208	$16,778†	+$335K
111	University of Wyoming	WY	55	$39,869	$13,599†	+$344K
112	Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	55	$37,944	$17,613†	+$309K
113	University of California-Davis	CA	55	$36,208	$14,741†	+$303K
114	University of California-San Diego	CA	55	$33,345	$12,470†	+$284K
115	Texas Christian University	TX	54	$50,627	$36,660	+$360K
116	Mount Holyoke College	MA	54	$48,690	$26,441	+$381K
117	Villanova University	PA	54	$46,549	$43,756	+$290K
118	Gettysburg College	PA	54	$43,322	$31,490	+$307K
119	James Madison University	VA	54	$42,128	$23,322†	+$328K
120	Texas A&M University-College Station	TX	54	$41,817	$21,315†	+$333K
121	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	PA	54	$41,201	$23,330†	+$319K
122	The College of New Jersey	NJ	54	$40,229	$27,646†	+$292K
123	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	54	$39,954	$25,346†	+$298K
124	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	54	$38,321	$17,303†	+$314K
125	CUNY York College	NY	54	$37,719	$4,456†	+$359K
126	University of Houston	TX	54	$36,413	$14,276†	+$307K
127	University of Central Florida	FL	54	$35,937	$10,411†	+$318K
128	University of South Florida	FL	54	$34,965	$9,812†	+$310K
129	California State University-Channel Islands	CA	54	$34,799	$9,849†	+$309K
130	Brigham Young University-Idaho	ID	54	$32,983	$8,221	+$297K
131	University of Michigan-Dearborn	MI	54	$32,266	$9,492†	+$285K
132	California State University-Fullerton	CA	54	$31,711	$6,555†	+$291K
133	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	NY	54	$31,005	$3,033†	+$298K
134	CUNY City College	NY	54	$29,823	$3,776†	+$283K
135	American University	DC	53	$48,034	$41,943	+$313K
136	The Catholic University of America	DC	53	$44,617	$29,561	+$328K
137	Loyola University Maryland	MD	53	$44,572	$30,574	+$323K
138	Trinity College	CT	53	$42,979	$34,832	+$290K
139	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College	PA	53	$41,201	$24,558†	+$314K
140	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks	PA	53	$41,201	$24,356†	+$315K
141	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	53	$40,487	$15,014†	+$345K
142	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	53	$39,920	$15,327†	+$338K
143	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	53	$39,723	$24,406†	+$300K
144	Utah State University	UT	53	$38,317	$14,936†	+$323K
145	University of Houston-Downtown	TX	53	$38,095	$10,542†	+$339K
146	University of North Florida	FL	53	$37,841	$10,154†	+$338K
147	University of Missouri-Columbia	MO	53	$37,722	$20,268†	+$296K
148	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	53	$35,977	$17,339†	+$290K
149	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	MD	53	$33,549	$16,467†	+$270K
150	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus	OK	53	$33,484	$17,447†	+$265K
151	University of Delaware	DE	53	$31,972	$17,799†	+$249K
152	CUNY Brooklyn College	NY	53	$29,577	$3,103†	+$283K
153	Santa Clara University	CA	52	$57,111	$50,062	+$371K
154	Wellesley College	MA	52	$50,214	$25,496	+$400K
155	Vassar College	NY	52	$48,679	$39,343	+$329K
156	DePauw University	IN	52	$44,224	$22,264	+$353K
157	Christopher Newport University	VA	52	$43,508	$23,015†	+$343K
158	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	52	$42,310	$10,846†	+$380K
159	Bryant University	RI	52	$41,112	$41,219	+$246K
160	Central Washington University	WA	52	$39,220	$18,476†	+$318K
161	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	52	$38,942	$18,743†	+$314K
162	Binghamton University	NY	52	$37,194	$21,620†	+$285K
163	University of Arizona	AZ	52	$36,193	$16,674†	+$295K
164	University of South Carolina-Upstate	SC	52	$35,798	$13,557†	+$304K
165	California State University-San Marcos	CA	52	$35,297	$10,229†	+$312K
166	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	52	$32,568	$16,264†	+$261K
167	California State University-Long Beach	CA	52	$32,168	$10,440†	+$280K
168	California State University-Northridge	CA	52	$32,014	$7,021†	+$292K
169	University of California-Irvine	CA	52	$31,976	$14,251†	+$263K
170	Wayne State University	MI	52	$30,345	$12,766†	+$252K
171	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	52	$30,291	$4,564†	+$285K
172	Miami University-Oxford	OH	51	$46,428	$28,384†	+$351K
173	Franklin and Marshall College	PA	51	$45,928	$36,425	+$314K
174	Saint Mary's College of California	CA	51	$45,296	$30,378	+$331K
175	Stonehill College	MA	51	$45,195	$33,016	+$320K
176	Brandeis University	MA	51	$43,770	$35,736	+$295K
177	Sonoma State University	CA	51	$43,547	$12,885†	+$384K
178	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus	OR	51	$39,157	$18,048†	+$319K
179	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	WI	51	$39,042	$14,158†	+$334K
180	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	NH	51	$38,435	$23,805†	+$289K
181	University of Maine	ME	51	$38,235	$17,510†	+$312K
182	University of Connecticut	CT	51	$37,009	$25,097†	+$270K
183	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	NE	51	$36,364	$17,747†	+$293K
184	Portland State University	OR	51	$35,173	$9,552†	+$314K
185	Drew University	NJ	51	$35,171	$24,280	+$255K
186	The University of Texas at Dallas	TX	51	$34,429	$18,267†	+$271K
187	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	51	$29,818	$3,967†	+$282K
188	California State University-Stanislaus	CA	51	$29,533	$6,067†	+$271K
189	Rhode Island College	RI	51	$29,178	$9,478†	+$254K
190	Radford University	VA	51	$27,136	$14,578†	+$213K
191	California State University-Dominguez Hills	CA	51	$25,837	$8,615†	+$224K
192	Middlebury College	VT	50	$59,026	$31,483	+$464K
193	Bates College	ME	50	$41,055	$29,351	+$293K
194	University of Iowa	IA	50	$39,133	$22,531†	+$301K
195	Western Michigan University	MI	50	$38,744	$15,273†	+$326K
196	The University of Montana	MT	50	$38,094	$16,784†	+$314K
197	Grinnell College	IA	50	$36,662	$17,648	+$296K
198	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	CA	50	$36,079	$13,171†	+$308K
199	University of Oregon	OR	50	$36,022	$22,182†	+$271K
200	University of Arkansas	AR	50	$33,745	$18,209†	+$265K
201	University of Kansas	KS	50	$33,700	$18,059†	+$265K
202	University of Mississippi	MS	50	$33,373	$13,314†	+$280K
203	Kansas State University	KS	50	$32,289	$19,406†	+$245K
204	Northern Illinois University	IL	50	$32,225	$13,391†	+$269K
205	West Virginia University Institute of Technology	WV	50	$30,286	$9,337†	+$266K
206	The University of Texas at San Antonio	TX	50	$30,235	$10,836†	+$259K
207	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	50	$27,886	$10,359†	+$237K
208	Providence College	RI	49	$43,911	$48,523	+$245K
209	University of Richmond	VA	49	$43,253	$31,309	+$307K
210	Smith College	MA	49	$42,327	$27,579	+$313K
211	Fordham University	NY	49	$41,809	$44,338	+$241K
212	Pace University	NY	49	$41,332	$30,892	+$290K
213	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	49	$41,201	$32,875†	+$281K
214	Oregon State University	OR	49	$39,157	$19,604†	+$313K
215	Assumption University	MA	49	$38,496	$29,498	+$267K
216	University of Southern California	CA	49	$38,063	$32,740	+$250K
217	University of Northern Iowa	IA	49	$37,875	$15,901†	+$315K
218	University of Northern Colorado	CO	49	$37,458	$17,760†	+$304K
219	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	WI	49	$36,036	$13,369†	+$307K
220	Central Michigan University	MI	49	$36,006	$17,597†	+$290K
221	St Lawrence University	NY	49	$35,977	$28,651	+$245K
222	East Carolina University	NC	49	$35,627	$15,739†	+$293K
223	Rhodes College	TN	49	$35,537	$28,585	+$241K
224	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg	PA	49	$35,390	$17,945†	+$282K
225	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown	PA	49	$35,390	$18,202†	+$281K
226	Northern Arizona University	AZ	49	$35,220	$14,158†	+$296K
227	Georgia College & State University	GA	49	$34,321	$20,686†	+$260K
228	Le Moyne College	NY	49	$34,058	$22,277	+$251K
229	University of Nebraska at Omaha	NE	49	$33,712	$13,441†	+$283K
230	Florida Atlantic University	FL	49	$31,641	$8,752†	+$281K
231	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	WI	48	$42,366	$14,305†	+$366K
232	Xavier University	OH	48	$41,710	$32,997	+$285K
233	Randolph-Macon College	VA	48	$41,684	$27,866	+$305K
234	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	WI	48	$41,455	$14,559†	+$356K
235	Ball State University	IN	48	$39,755	$14,940†	+$338K
236	Simmons University	MA	48	$39,657	$25,265	+$296K
237	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	48	$38,753	$21,637†	+$301K
238	Gustavus Adolphus College	MN	48	$38,463	$22,900	+$293K
239	Kennesaw State University	GA	48	$36,794	$15,048†	+$308K
240	Eastern Kentucky University	KY	48	$35,899	$11,040†	+$315K
241	Winona State University	MN	48	$35,631	$17,503†	+$286K
242	SUNY Buffalo State University	NY	48	$35,158	$11,346†	+$306K
243	Saginaw Valley State University	MI	48	$35,059	$10,775†	+$307K
244	Austin Peay State University	TN	48	$34,635	$9,735†	+$307K
245	University of Massachusetts-Boston	MA	48	$34,499	$17,707†	+$274K
246	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	NM	48	$33,947	$15,489†	+$278K
247	Stephen F Austin State University	TX	48	$33,386	$14,260†	+$277K
248	Valparaiso University	IN	48	$32,893	$18,578	+$255K
249	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	48	$31,786	$14,889†	+$258K
250	Old Dominion University	VA	48	$31,700	$14,638†	+$258K
251	The University of Texas at Arlington	TX	48	$31,550	$13,951†	+$260K
252	Eastern Illinois University	IL	48	$28,721	$12,786†	+$236K
253	Marist University	NY	47	$43,238	$41,544	+$266K
254	Syracuse University	NY	47	$43,232	$38,793	+$277K
255	Pepperdine University	CA	47	$42,306	$58,098	+$191K
256	Truman State University	MO	47	$39,813	$12,780†	+$347K
257	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	TN	47	$39,490	$14,265†	+$338K
258	Texas Woman's University	TX	47	$39,272	$11,963†	+$345K
259	Marquette University	WI	47	$38,225	$31,487	+$256K
260	William Paterson University of New Jersey	NJ	47	$37,801	$18,745†	+$303K
261	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	CO	47	$36,324	$21,279†	+$278K
262	University of Mary Washington	VA	47	$35,687	$20,667†	+$274K
263	University of Central Missouri	MO	47	$35,556	$14,462†	+$298K
264	Grand Valley State University	MI	47	$35,358	$16,317†	+$288K
265	Illinois State University	IL	47	$34,519	$19,398†	+$268K
266	University of North Texas	TX	47	$34,195	$15,649†	+$279K
267	University of Nevada-Reno	NV	47	$33,403	$15,927†	+$270K
268	Wabash College	IN	47	$32,834	$24,336	+$231K
269	University of California-Santa Cruz	CA	47	$31,882	$17,890†	+$247K
270	University of California-Merced	CA	47	$29,153	$11,983†	+$244K
271	University of Southern Maine	ME	47	$28,589	$13,596†	+$232K
272	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	47	$27,477	$15,415†	+$213K
273	Muhlenberg College	PA	47	$25,058	$28,905	+$135K
274	Augustana University	SD	46	$46,646	$23,894	+$371K
275	Ashland University	OH	46	$44,455	$21,988	+$357K
276	Tulane University of Louisiana	LA	46	$41,265	$39,949	+$253K
277	Indiana University of Pennsylvania	PA	46	$40,730	$16,804†	+$340K
278	Capital University	OH	46	$39,807	$22,576	+$308K
279	Long Island University	NY	46	$39,603	$33,062	+$264K
280	Fairfield University	CT	46	$38,426	$48,095	+$192K
281	University of Denver	CO	46	$38,059	$36,131	+$236K
282	Washington College	MD	46	$36,741	$27,898	+$256K
283	University of Missouri-St Louis	MO	46	$36,050	$15,071†	+$300K
284	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	NM	46	$35,393	$8,889†	+$318K
285	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	WI	46	$35,281	$16,210†	+$288K
286	Willamette University	OR	46	$35,162	$25,121	+$251K
287	Fairmont State University	WV	46	$34,992	$9,032†	+$314K
288	University of Kentucky	KY	46	$34,745	$18,851†	+$272K
289	Mercyhurst University	PA	46	$34,711	$19,444	+$269K
290	Canisius University	NY	46	$31,797	$17,940	+$246K
291	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	LA	46	$30,771	$19,151†	+$231K
292	University of California-Riverside	CA	46	$30,060	$14,304†	+$243K
293	State University of New York at Cortland	NY	46	$29,143	$22,345†	+$202K
294	Oakland University	MI	46	$29,080	$9,120†	+$254K
295	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	ND	46	$26,635	$15,543†	+$204K
296	Seattle University	WA	45	$41,474	$34,662	+$276K
297	Frostburg State University	MD	45	$41,332	$16,715†	+$346K
298	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	PA	45	$40,245	$15,699†	+$340K
299	Albion College	MI	45	$39,066	$14,301	+$333K
300	University of Rochester	NY	45	$37,921	$29,278	+$262K
301	Dickinson College	PA	45	$37,507	$37,607	+$225K
302	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	45	$37,329	$24,022†	+$277K
303	St. Mary's University	TX	45	$36,392	$21,145	+$279K
304	Augustana College	IL	45	$35,626	$22,736	+$265K
305	Texas Tech University	TX	45	$35,114	$19,070†	+$275K
306	University of West Florida	FL	45	$34,484	$9,364†	+$307K
307	Saint Michael's College	VT	45	$34,307	$25,239	+$242K
308	Salisbury University	MD	45	$33,397	$17,743†	+$263K
309	Eastern Washington University	WA	45	$33,173	$13,886†	+$276K
310	SUNY Oneonta	NY	45	$32,295	$19,158†	+$246K
311	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	NC	45	$30,925	$10,965†	+$265K
312	West Virginia University	WV	45	$30,286	$15,634†	+$240K
313	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	CA	45	$28,119	$11,531†	+$235K
314	Clemson University	SC	45	$28,041	$22,253†	+$191K
315	SUNY College at Geneseo	NY	45	$27,814	$18,211†	+$205K
316	Florida International University	FL	45	$26,983	$9,288†	+$233K
317	Texas A & M International University	TX	45	$18,475	$3,637†	+$170K
318	Susquehanna University	PA	44	$46,266	$28,819	+$347K
319	Wheaton College	IL	44	$45,069	$26,975	+$343K
320	Pacific Lutheran University	WA	44	$41,518	$19,589	+$337K
321	University of San Francisco	CA	44	$40,056	$41,431	+$235K
322	Elon University	NC	44	$38,836	$41,555	+$222K
323	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	44	$37,360	$25,648†	+$271K
324	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	CO	44	$37,295	$15,788†	+$310K
325	Hartwick College	NY	44	$36,606	$31,320	+$241K
326	Westfield State University	MA	44	$36,577	$16,721†	+$299K
327	College of Charleston	SC	44	$35,398	$18,960†	+$278K
328	Presbyterian College	SC	44	$34,712	$20,528	+$265K
329	Furman University	SC	44	$34,473	$30,308	+$223K
330	Wofford College	SC	44	$34,277	$18,732	+$268K
331	University of Miami	FL	44	$33,867	$37,244	+$190K
332	Indiana State University	IN	44	$33,352	$10,873†	+$290K
333	Northern Michigan University	MI	44	$32,795	$14,085†	+$272K
334	University of Rhode Island	RI	44	$31,649	$21,440†	+$231K
335	University of Vermont	VT	44	$31,594	$19,343†	+$239K
336	Iowa State University	IA	44	$30,715	$18,589†	+$233K
337	Kean University	NJ	44	$30,436	$12,447†	+$255K
338	State University of New York at Plattsburgh	NY	44	$29,164	$17,156†	+$223K
339	Saint Cloud State University	MN	44	$28,991	$13,529†	+$236K
340	State University of New York at Oswego	NY	44	$28,678	$16,236†	+$222K
341	Idaho State University	ID	44	$28,617	$12,193†	+$237K
342	Valdosta State University	GA	44	$26,576	$10,945†	+$222K
343	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	44	$24,804	$4,831†	+$229K
344	California State University-Fresno	CA	44	$21,674	$7,000†	+$189K
345	Occidental College	CA	43	$45,175	$38,263	+$299K
346	Southern Connecticut State University	CT	43	$41,383	$20,857†	+$330K
347	The University of Tampa	FL	43	$40,505	$36,211	+$260K
348	Morgan State University	MD	43	$37,900	$14,985†	+$319K
349	DePaul University	IL	43	$37,531	$30,902	+$252K
350	Hampton University	VA	43	$37,200	$25,319	+$271K
351	Loyola University Chicago	IL	43	$37,007	$36,079	+$226K
352	University of Hartford	CT	43	$35,492	$30,282	+$234K
353	Montana State University	MT	43	$35,476	$22,499†	+$265K
354	Hamline University	MN	43	$35,354	$20,744	+$271K
355	University at Albany	NY	43	$33,251	$17,167†	+$264K
356	University of San Diego	CA	43	$33,040	$30,365	+$209K
357	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	43	$32,780	$15,435†	+$266K
358	University of West Georgia	GA	43	$31,706	$12,786†	+$266K
359	Georgia Southern University	GA	43	$30,407	$15,267†	+$243K
360	Coastal Carolina University	SC	43	$29,924	$13,966†	+$243K
361	Mississippi State University	MS	43	$29,442	$17,595†	+$224K
362	Winston-Salem State University	NC	43	$26,725	$13,479†	+$213K
363	University of Akron Main Campus	OH	43	$26,574	$13,946†	+$210K
364	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	WI	43	$26,268	$16,550†	+$196K
365	Liberty University	VA	42	$46,508	$29,357	+$348K
366	Claremont McKenna College	CA	42	$42,552	$28,849	+$310K
367	Framingham State University	MA	42	$37,661	$16,114†	+$312K
368	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	42	$37,401	$15,300†	+$313K
369	Temple University	PA	42	$36,011	$28,198†	+$247K
370	Chapman University	CA	42	$35,124	$46,555	+$165K
371	SUNY Old Westbury	NY	42	$34,666	$11,282†	+$302K
372	Louisiana Tech University	LA	42	$34,640	$11,864†	+$299K
373	Saint Edward's University	TX	42	$34,570	$25,578	+$243K
374	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	42	$33,157	$22,811†	+$240K
375	The University of Alabama	AL	42	$32,699	$22,420†	+$237K
376	Auburn University	AL	42	$32,228	$24,323†	+$225K
377	University of Louisville	KY	42	$31,777	$17,988†	+$246K
378	Middle Tennessee State University	TN	42	$31,012	$13,359†	+$257K
379	St Olaf College	MN	42	$30,953	$23,874	+$214K
380	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	FL	42	$30,798	$13,739†	+$253K
381	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	PA	42	$29,186	$19,608†	+$213K
382	University of Memphis	TN	42	$27,600	$12,397†	+$226K
383	Montclair State University	NJ	42	$26,704	$15,566†	+$205K
384	University of La Verne	CA	42	$21,881	$20,161	+$138K
385	Skidmore College	NY	41	$42,756	$32,297	+$298K
386	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	41	$41,530	$36,708	+$268K
387	Marymount University	VA	41	$41,186	$29,137	+$295K
388	Washington & Jefferson College	PA	41	$39,484	$25,002	+$295K
389	Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia	PA	41	$38,894	$29,689	+$270K
390	University of Central Oklahoma	OK	41	$38,063	$18,309†	+$307K
391	University of St Thomas	MN	41	$34,775	$29,155	+$231K
392	Texas State University	TX	41	$33,783	$16,805†	+$271K
393	Millersville University of Pennsylvania	PA	41	$33,605	$20,787†	+$253K
394	Hofstra University	NY	41	$32,504	$34,176	+$188K
395	The University of the South	TN	41	$31,831	$27,872	+$207K
396	Saint Louis University	MO	41	$30,502	$24,398	+$207K
397	Cleveland State University	OH	41	$26,204	$14,764†	+$203K
398	Western Kentucky University	KY	41	$23,294	$10,990†	+$189K
399	Saint Anselm College	NH	40	$41,322	$34,779	+$274K
400	Macalester College	MN	40	$39,439	$32,149	+$266K
401	Spelman College	GA	40	$39,050	$38,967	+$235K
402	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	PA	40	$38,567	$21,331†	+$300K
403	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	40	$35,390	$30,434†	+$232K
404	Pennsylvania Western University	PA	40	$35,152	$18,256†	+$278K
405	Tennessee Technological University	TN	40	$34,105	$14,246†	+$284K
406	University of Toledo	OH	40	$32,586	$17,249†	+$257K
407	Bradley University	IL	40	$31,902	$22,719	+$228K
408	University of North Carolina Wilmington	NC	40	$31,124	$20,109†	+$231K
409	Allegheny College	PA	40	$30,834	$22,940	+$217K
410	Eastern Michigan University	MI	40	$30,137	$15,407†	+$240K
411	Georgia State University	GA	40	$29,275	$15,931†	+$229K
412	University of Louisiana at Lafayette	LA	40	$28,518	$13,530†	+$231K
413	Youngstown State University	OH	40	$28,148	$12,767†	+$230K
414	University at Buffalo	NY	40	$27,495	$20,995†	+$191K
415	Stetson University	FL	40	$26,839	$19,372	+$191K
416	The University of Texas at El Paso	TX	40	$26,182	$9,403†	+$224K
417	Kenyon College	OH	39	$39,550	$38,512	+$241K
418	The College of Wooster	OH	39	$38,727	$23,458	+$293K
419	Augsburg University	MN	39	$37,807	$23,873	+$283K
420	Grand Canyon University	AZ	39	$37,704	$22,472	+$287K
421	California Lutheran University	CA	39	$36,061	$30,109	+$240K
422	South Dakota State University	SD	39	$34,337	$19,841†	+$264K
423	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	39	$34,080	$23,433†	+$247K
424	Clark University	MA	39	$33,625	$28,714	+$221K
425	Baylor University	TX	39	$32,981	$41,104	+$165K
426	Stockton University	NJ	39	$30,891	$20,670†	+$226K
427	Monmouth University	NJ	39	$30,366	$30,988	+$180K
428	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	39	$29,728	$18,976†	+$221K
429	Whittier College	CA	39	$29,616	$25,757	+$193K
430	Clayton State University	GA	39	$28,784	$8,365†	+$254K
431	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	39	$26,635	$13,297†	+$213K
432	University of Hawaii at Manoa	HI	39	$24,964	$15,664†	+$187K
433	Lewis & Clark College	OR	38	$38,784	$36,013	+$244K
434	Emmanuel College	MA	38	$38,004	$26,706	+$273K
435	Gordon College	MA	38	$37,684	$24,883	+$277K
436	Hampden-Sydney College	VA	38	$37,123	$22,400	+$282K
437	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	MA	38	$36,718	$20,927†	+$283K
438	Roosevelt University	IL	38	$36,521	$20,194	+$284K
439	Ramapo College of New Jersey	NJ	38	$36,050	$18,173†	+$288K
440	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	MA	38	$35,330	$17,163†	+$285K
441	Tennessee State University	TN	38	$35,206	$15,796†	+$289K
442	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi	TX	38	$33,968	$15,225†	+$279K
443	Boise State University	ID	38	$32,650	$21,610†	+$240K
444	Western Illinois University	IL	38	$32,359	$12,937†	+$272K
445	Texas Southern University	TX	38	$26,806	$16,590†	+$202K
446	Northeastern Illinois University	IL	38	$25,912	$14,109†	+$203K
447	SUNY Brockport	NY	38	$24,036	$16,353†	+$175K
448	Roger Williams University	RI	37	$37,327	$37,999	+$221K
449	University of Redlands	CA	37	$37,091	$30,031	+$251K
450	Lake Forest College	IL	37	$34,317	$28,673	+$228K
451	Morehouse College	GA	37	$32,340	$39,013	+$167K
452	University of South Dakota	SD	37	$31,973	$19,858†	+$240K
453	Kent State University at Kent	OH	37	$31,389	$20,787†	+$231K
454	Central Connecticut State University	CT	37	$25,270	$16,857†	+$185K
455	University of North Carolina Asheville	NC	37	$23,964	$12,250†	+$191K
456	East Tennessee State University	TN	36	$37,594	$15,983†	+$312K
457	Rollins College	FL	36	$36,309	$34,732	+$224K
458	University of Alabama at Birmingham	AL	36	$34,474	$18,749†	+$270K
459	St. Joseph's University-New York	NY	36	$34,334	$19,035	+$267K
460	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	36	$34,271	$23,726†	+$248K
461	Loyola Marymount University	CA	36	$31,033	$48,381	+$117K
462	Appalachian State University	NC	36	$30,096	$16,836†	+$234K
463	Gonzaga University	WA	36	$26,915	$35,119	+$129K
464	Quinnipiac University	CT	36	$26,440	$40,675	+$102K
465	Loyola University New Orleans	LA	36	$26,281	$23,696	+$168K
466	State University of New York at New Paltz	NY	36	$24,676	$18,809†	+$172K
467	Merrimack College	MA	35	$35,619	$37,927	+$204K
468	Hobart William Smith Colleges	NY	35	$35,381	$31,563	+$228K
469	Creighton University	NE	35	$35,311	$31,568	+$227K
470	College of Saint Benedict	MN	35	$35,104	$26,640	+$244K
471	Southwestern University	TX	35	$34,415	$29,224	+$227K
472	Minnesota State University Moorhead	MN	35	$33,220	$17,997†	+$260K
473	Seattle Pacific University	WA	35	$32,288	$24,488	+$225K
474	Fort Hays State University	KS	35	$30,454	$12,569†	+$254K
475	Oberlin College	OH	35	$30,187	$38,645	+$147K
476	Siena University	NY	35	$29,374	$33,733	+$159K
477	Duquesne University	PA	35	$28,840	$37,730	+$137K
478	John Carroll University	OH	35	$28,507	$28,746	+$170K
479	Western Washington University	WA	35	$27,217	$21,193†	+$187K
480	Saint Johns University	MN	35	$20,939	$25,672	+$107K
481	Monmouth College	IL	34	$32,103	$17,133	+$252K
482	University of Central Arkansas	AR	34	$31,348	$16,511†	+$247K
483	Denison University	OH	34	$31,272	$40,007	+$153K
484	Wichita State University	KS	34	$30,121	$13,194†	+$248K
485	University of Idaho	ID	34	$27,881	$14,831†	+$219K
486	North Carolina Central University	NC	34	$24,948	$15,359†	+$188K
487	Misericordia University	PA	33	$37,560	$37,485	+$226K
488	Eckerd College	FL	33	$34,621	$38,071	+$194K
489	Wheaton College (Massachusetts)	MA	33	$32,669	$29,822	+$207K
490	University of Indianapolis	IN	33	$32,406	$21,602	+$238K
491	Hope College	MI	33	$32,389	$27,182	+$215K
492	Fitchburg State University	MA	33	$29,600	$14,262†	+$239K
493	Seton Hall University	NJ	33	$28,138	$31,446	+$156K
494	Claflin University	SC	32	$33,287	$17,800	+$262K
495	Baldwin Wallace University	OH	32	$31,696	$27,603	+$207K
496	Kalamazoo College	MI	32	$30,494	$19,072	+$229K
497	Western Colorado University	CO	32	$30,272	$16,425†	+$237K
498	Bloomfield College of Montclair State University	NJ	32	$26,704	$28,014†	+$155K
499	University of Louisiana at Monroe	LA	32	$23,450	$13,466†	+$181K
500	University of North Carolina at Pembroke	NC	32	$22,223	$10,260†	+$181K
501	Luther College	IA	32	$21,358	$23,097	+$121K
502	University of Puget Sound	WA	31	$31,290	$38,394	+$159K
503	Keene State College	NH	31	$29,142	$17,887†	+$220K
504	California Baptist University	CA	31	$27,624	$26,285	+$171K
505	Rowan University	NJ	31	$26,042	$22,408†	+$171K
506	Saint Xavier University	IL	31	$25,828	$10,970	+$214K
507	Winthrop University	SC	31	$21,165	$15,343†	+$150K
508	Howard University	DC	30	$31,897	$50,539	+$117K
509	Carleton College	MN	30	$29,858	$25,407	+$197K
510	Mount St. Mary's University	MD	30	$29,800	$22,655	+$207K
511	Bellarmine University	KY	30	$25,424	$21,499	+$168K
512	University of Portland	OR	30	$23,017	$28,210	+$117K
513	Sacred Heart University	CT	30	$17,262	$46,174	−$12K
514	Ithaca College	NY	29	$28,846	$33,926	+$153K
515	Clark Atlanta University	GA	29	$28,554	$37,702	+$135K
516	Concordia College at Moorhead	MN	29	$27,466	$24,902	+$175K
517	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	29	$26,153	$18,134†	+$189K
518	Lincoln University	PA	29	$26,037	$14,977†	+$200K
519	Francis Marion University	SC	29	$24,289	$11,386†	+$197K
520	University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras	PR	29	$19,819	$9,175†	+$161K
521	Trinity University	TX	28	$27,601	$23,464	+$182K
522	Ohio Wesleyan University	OH	28	$27,165	$20,897	+$188K
523	Southeastern Louisiana University	LA	28	$26,992	$13,154†	+$217K
524	Austin College	TX	28	$23,243	$21,107	+$148K
525	Tuskegee University	AL	27	$16,884	$35,013	+$29K
526	Whitman College	WA	26	$27,689	$33,313	+$144K
527	Carthage College	WI	26	$24,259	$26,565	+$136K
528	Iona University	NY	24	$18,148	$29,188	+$65K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

Princeton takes the #1 spot not just because of its name, but because its Politics department operates as a direct conveyor belt to the world’s most lucrative employers. Princeton political science grads are heavily recruited by top-tier strategy consulting firms and Wall Street banks, sectors where entry-level salaries dwarf typical government pay. The top of this ranking is entirely dominated by the Ivy League and elite liberal arts colleges like Bowdoin and Williams for this exact reason: corporate employers use these specific political science programs as a proxy for elite analytical talent.

But the most fascinating story in this ranking is at the bottom of the top 25. CUNY Lehman College and California State University-East Bay beat out hundreds of famous private schools. They achieve this through geography and extreme affordability. By charging rock-bottom tuition and placing graduates directly into the massive civic, non-profit, and corporate bureaucracies of New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, these regional commuter campuses generate a return on investment that rivals elite private institutions.

What is Political Science?

Political science is the rigorous study of power, institutions, and political behavior. Graduates don't just run for office; day-to-day, they are analyzing policy impacts, managing public relations, consulting for global corporations, or laying the groundwork for a career in law.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to go to an elite school to succeed in political science?

No, but it fundamentally changes your trajectory. Elite private schools feed directly into national consulting firms, high finance, and top-tier federal roles. State universities, on the other hand, are excellent pipelines into regional politics, state legislatures, campaign management, and local business. You need to match your college choice to your specific career goals.

Are all political science grads working in government?

Not at all. A massive chunk of political science graduates end up in the private sector. The analytical, writing, and strategic skills you learn translate exceptionally well to market research, public relations, tech policy, corporate compliance, and human resources.

Should I double major if I study political science?

It is highly recommended if you want to maximize your immediate employability. Pairing political science with a quantitative field like economics, data science, or statistics makes you significantly more competitive for policy analysis roles, political polling, and private sector jobs that require hard data skills.