What Makes a College One of the Best Colleges for Political Science?
Political science, called government at Harvard, Georgetown, Virginia, and William and Mary and politics at Princeton and Pomona, is offered almost everywhere. The American Political Science Association describes the major as preparation for careers in commerce, public service, journalism, nonprofits, law, and academia, and notes that its courses “provide valuable analytical and communication skills” (APSA). What separates the strongest programs is how much research and real-world access they build in. Five things matter most.
- Methods training. Chicago, Brown, UNC, William and Mary, and Carleton require a research methods course, and UC San Diego offers a BS in data analytics. Statistics is now as central to political science as political theory.
- A thesis or honors path. Columbia, Duke, Berkeley, and Virginia ask honors students for a 50 to 75 page thesis, and Chicago requires a substantial paper of every major.
- Washington access. Semester and quarter programs at Michigan, UCLA, UT Austin, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Claremont McKenna, and Indiana combine courses with full-time internships.
- Breadth of subfields. American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and methods require a department large enough to teach all of them well.
- Small seminars. Bowdoin caps its advanced seminars at 15 students, and Columbia requires two seminars of every major.
Which Colleges Are Best for Political Science?
The table below lists the best colleges for political science with the degree each one offers, named the way the university names it, and one concrete feature taken from its own pages. Schools are grouped by type and selectivity, and each school name links to our analysis of its acceptance rate or admissions.
| University | Undergraduate degree | What stands out for undergraduates | Selectivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Government concentration | The senior thesis is optional; about 30% of Government concentrators write one each year | Most selective |
| Yale University | Political Science, BA (standard or intensive) | Twelve term courses, including methodology and formal theory; the intensive major requires fifteen | Most selective |
| Princeton University | Politics, AB | The department supervises independent work for more than 150 junior and senior majors | Most selective |
| Stanford University | Political Science, BA, with five tracks | At least 70 units, with 25 in a primary track and 15 in a secondary track | Most selective |
| Columbia University | Political Science (Columbia College) | The honors thesis runs about 75 pages, and normally no more than 10 percent of majors receive honors | Most selective |
| University of Chicago | Political Science, BA | Twelve courses, a required research methods course, and a 35 to 50 page BA thesis or a 20-page Long Paper | Most selective |
| Duke University | Political Science, AB | Organized around five Career Concentrations; the honors thesis is a journal-length paper of about 50 pages | Most selective |
| University of Pennsylvania | Political Science, BA | Honors requires a 3.3 overall and 3.6 political science GPA and two senior honors courses | Most selective |
| Brown University | Political Science concentration | Ten courses, including one required methods course; honors students take eleven | Most selective |
| Dartmouth College | Government major | The Rockefeller Center places 20 to 25 first-year students in 8-week Washington policy internships with a $2,000 stipend | Most selective |
| Northwestern University | Political Science major | Every major takes the Political Research Seminar; honors adds a two-quarter thesis sequence | Most selective |
| Georgetown University | Government, AB | Ten courses; the honors program runs three semesters, requires a 3.5 GPA, and ends in a senior thesis | Highly selective |
| University of Notre Dame | Political Science major | The Washington Program is a 15-credit semester with an internship of 24 or more hours a week | Highly selective |
| UCLA | Political Science major | Quarter in Washington sends at least 31 students each fall, winter, and spring quarter to earn 12 upper-division units alongside a 24 to 32 hour internship | Most selective |
| UC Berkeley | Political Science, BA | About 10 to 15 percent of majors write a 50 to 60 page honors thesis in a two-semester seminar | Highly selective |
| UC San Diego | Political Science, BA; Political Science, BS in Data Analytics | Twelve upper-division courses, with an optional concentration in one of eight areas, including Public Law and Data Analytics | Highly selective |
| University of Michigan | Political Science major | Michigan in Washington takes 20 students a year for 32-hour-a-week internships, each with a $1,500 scholarship | Highly selective |
| University of Virginia | Government, BA; Foreign Affairs, BA | The Distinguished Majors Program requires a 3.4 GPA and a six-credit fourth-year thesis | Highly selective |
| UNC Chapel Hill | Political Science, BA | Nine core courses across five subfields, including a required research methods course | Highly selective |
| UT Austin | Government, BA | Archer Fellows spend a semester in Washington, earning 15 upper-division hours while interning 40 hours a week | Highly selective |
| William and Mary | Government, BA | A 33-credit major with a required Research Methods course and a 400-level research seminar | Selective |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Political Science, BA | Wisconsin in Washington awards 12 credits through three courses alongside a 30 to 32 hour internship | Selective |
| Swarthmore College | Political Science (Honors Major) | Honors majors complete three two-credit honors preparations, and their work is evaluated by external examiners | Most selective |
| Williams College | Political Science major | Nine courses including a senior seminar; thesis writers, typically with a 3.7 department GPA, take eleven | Most selective |
| Pomona College | Politics major | A senior seminar plus a senior oral examination on a book list the student builds across three topics | Most selective |
| Claremont McKenna College | Government major | The CMC Washington Program awards four course credits, including an internship course and a research project | Most selective |
| Bowdoin College | Government and Legal Studies major | Nine courses across four subfields; advanced 3000-level seminars are capped at 15 students | Most selective |
| Carleton College | Political Science and International Relations | 75 credits, including 15 credits of methods and a six-credit senior exercise | Highly selective |
| American University | Political Science, BA, with six concentrations | Students can count up to 12 internship credits toward the degree, up to 6 toward the major | Selective |
| George Washington University | Political Science, BA | Special Honors requires a 3.8 GPA in upper-level political science courses | Selective |
| Syracuse University | Political Science, BA (Maxwell School) | A 30-credit major; the Award of Distinction requires six credits of thesis work and a thesis defense | Selective |
| Indiana University Bloomington | Political Science, BA | The fall Washington Leadership Program awards 12 credit hours with an internship four days a week | Less selective |
Which Highly Selective Universities Have the Strongest Political Science Programs?
The most selective private universities differ mainly in how they handle the thesis. Columbia’s honors thesis runs about 75 pages, and normally no more than 10 percent of graduating majors receive departmental honors (Columbia College Bulletin). Duke asks for a journal-length thesis of about 50 pages, Georgetown runs a three-semester honors program at a 3.5 GPA, and Penn requires a 3.3 overall and 3.6 political science GPA for honors. Chicago is unusual in requiring every major to write either a 35 to 50 page BA thesis or a 20-page Long Paper after a required research methods course. At Harvard the thesis is optional, and about 30 percent of Government concentrators write one.
Princeton supervises independent work for more than 150 junior and senior Politics majors. Yale’s standard BA requires twelve courses, including methodology and formal theory, and its intensive major requires fifteen. Stanford organizes its 70-unit major around five tracks, Northwestern requires a Political Research Seminar of every major, and Brown requires a methods course. Dartmouth’s Rockefeller Center places 20 to 25 first-year students in eight-week Washington policy internships with a $2,000 stipend, and Notre Dame runs a 15-credit Washington semester.
Which Public Universities Are Best for Political Science?
Public flagships combine large faculties with structured research tracks. About 10 to 15 percent of Berkeley majors write a 50 to 60 page honors thesis in a two-semester seminar. UC San Diego offers a BA and a BS in Data Analytics, with optional concentrations in eight areas from Public Law to Data Analytics. Virginia offers separate BAs in Government and Foreign Affairs, and its Distinguished Majors Program requires a 3.4 GPA and a six-credit thesis. UNC requires nine core courses across five subfields, including research methods, and William and Mary requires Research Methods and a 400-level research seminar in its 33-credit major.
Several publics also run the strongest Washington programs in the country, covered in the next section. For students drawn to public policy, our guides to high school internships and law internships for high school students explain how to start building that record before college.
Which Liberal Arts Colleges Are Best for Political Science?
Liberal arts colleges build political science around seminars and independent work. Swarthmore’s honors majors complete three two-credit honors preparations and are evaluated by external examiners. Williams requires a senior seminar of every major, and thesis writers, typically with a 3.7 department GPA, take two more courses. Pomona ends its Politics major with a senior oral examination on a book list the student builds. Bowdoin caps its advanced seminars at 15 students, Carleton requires 15 credits of methods, and Claremont McKenna runs its own Washington Program. Our guide to liberal arts colleges versus research universities covers the trade-offs between the two settings.
Which Colleges Offer the Best Washington, DC Programs for Political Science?
A semester or quarter in Washington is often the most valuable experience a political science major has, because it combines courses with a full-time internship. Michigan in Washington takes 20 students a year for 32-hour-a-week internships and gives each a $1,500 scholarship (University of Michigan). UT Austin’s Archer Fellows earn 15 upper-division hours while interning 40 hours a week (UT Austin). UCLA’s Quarter in Washington sends at least 31 students each fall, winter, and spring quarter for 12 upper-division units, and Wisconsin in Washington awards 12 credits alongside a 30 to 32 hour internship.
Notre Dame runs a 15-credit Washington semester, Claremont McKenna’s Washington Program awards four course credits, and Indiana’s fall Washington Leadership Program awards 12 credit hours with four internship days a week. Dartmouth starts even earlier, placing 20 to 25 first-year students in Washington policy internships (Dartmouth Rockefeller Center). American University and George Washington are in Washington year round: American lets students count up to 12 internship credits toward the degree.
What Can You Do With a Political Science Degree?
Most political science majors do not become political scientists. That occupation typically requires a master’s degree, paid a median of $142,080 in May 2025, and is projected to decline 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Graduates more often go into law, government, campaigns, policy research, journalism, consulting, and business. Students weighing neighboring majors can compare our guides to the best colleges for international relations, the best colleges for economics, the best colleges for pre-law, and the best journalism schools.
Law is the most common destination. In LSAC’s report for Enrollment Year 2022, 13,693 law school applicants majored in political science, far more than any other major, and 10,134 of them were admitted (LSAC Applicants by Major). Our guides to the T14 law schools and law school GPA and LSAT medians explain what those law schools expect.
How Do You Judge a Political Science Program Beyond the Rankings?
- Find the methods requirement. A required statistics or research methods course is a sign the department trains students to produce research, not only to read it.
- Read the thesis rules. GPA cutoffs, page lengths, and the share of majors who write a thesis show how seriously the department treats independent work.
- Check the Washington program. Ask how many students go each year, how many credits they earn, how many hours they intern, and whether the university helps pay for housing.
- Look at seminar size. Advanced seminars of 15 to 20 students are where students learn to write and argue.
- Ask where graduates go. Departments that publish outcomes for law school, government, and policy jobs show what the degree leads to.
What Do Admissions Officers Look for in a Political Science Applicant?
Political science is one of the most common intended majors, and students are not admitted to the major itself at most universities, so the application is read like any social science applicant’s. What stands out is evidence of sustained civic engagement and serious reading and writing.
- Coursework. AP U.S. Government, AP U.S. History, AP Comparative Government, and AP Statistics. Statistics matters more every year as political science becomes more quantitative.
- Civic leadership. Selective programs such as Boys State and Girls State, student government, and campaign or legislative internships show interest that goes beyond the classroom.
- Argument and debate. Debate, Model UN, and mock trial show a student who can build a case and defend it.
- Writing. A research paper, an op-ed in a local paper, or an entry in the John Locke Essay Competition gives readers evidence of how a student thinks.
Oriel Admissions builds this record with students who start in 9th or 10th grade: one civic commitment pursued for three years, one argument activity, and one piece of writing with a real audience. Our guide to intended major strategy explains how a declared social science major affects admission.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Colleges for Political Science
There is no single answer, because the best colleges for political science depend on whether a student wants research, Washington experience, or small seminars. Among the most selective universities, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, and Chicago offer deep faculties and thesis paths. Among public universities, Berkeley, Michigan, Virginia, and UT Austin combine research with strong Washington programs. Among liberal arts colleges, Swarthmore, Williams, and Pomona build the major around seminars and independent work.
Colleges awarded 38,795 bachelor degrees in political science and government in 2020-21, up from 38,113 the year before, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
It is the most common one. In the LSAC report for Enrollment Year 2022, 13,693 law school applicants majored in political science, and 10,134 were admitted. The American Bar Association does not recommend any particular major, so a student should choose the subject in which they will write well and earn a strong GPA.
Michigan in Washington places 20 students a year in 32-hour-a-week internships with a 1,500 dollar scholarship, UT Austin Archer Fellows earn 15 upper-division hours while interning full time, UCLA runs a Quarter in Washington, and Dartmouth places 20 to 25 first-year students in Washington policy internships. American University and George Washington are located in Washington.
Graduates go into law, government, campaigns, policy research, journalism, consulting, and business. The American Political Science Association describes the major as preparation for commerce, public service, journalism, nonprofits, law, and academia. Political scientist jobs themselves typically require a master degree and paid a median of 142,080 dollars in May 2025.
They are the same field under different names. Harvard, Georgetown, Virginia, Dartmouth, and William and Mary call the major government, Princeton and Pomona call it politics, and most other universities call it political science.
It depends on the college. The University of Chicago requires every major to write a BA thesis or a long paper. At Harvard the thesis is optional and about 30 percent of Government concentrators write one, at Berkeley about 10 to 15 percent of majors write an honors thesis, and at Columbia normally no more than 10 percent of majors receive honors.
Take AP Government, AP U.S. History, and AP Statistics, commit to one civic activity such as student government, Boys State or Girls State, or campaign work, and write something for a real audience. Oriel Admissions plans this sequence with students starting in 9th or 10th grade.
Sources: NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Table 325.92, BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Political Scientists, American Political Science Association: Majoring in Political Science, LSAC Applicants by Major, Enrollment Year 2022, Columbia College Bulletin: Political Science, University of Michigan: Michigan in Washington, UT Austin Archer Fellowship Program, Dartmouth Rockefeller Center First-Year Fellows, NCES College Navigator
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