Best Schools for Political Science and Government

Top colleges ranked by median earnings 2 years after graduation.

50
Schools
$49,112
Avg. Earnings
3,541
Graduates
#1
D

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH · Private

$62,192
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $57,095
Graduates: 133
Acceptance: 6.2%
#2
H

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA · Private

$57,017
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $58,808
Graduates: 68
Acceptance: 3.5%
#3
C

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY · Private

$56,415
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $52,096
Graduates: 156
Acceptance: 4.2%
#4
D

Duke University

Durham, NC · Private

$54,463
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $43,130
Graduates: 56
Acceptance: 6.8%
#5
A

American Public University System

Charles Town, WV ·

$54,109
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $46,663
Graduates: 36
Acceptance: N/A
#6
H

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY · Private

$53,894
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $48,577
Graduates: 27
Acceptance: 11.8%
#7
C

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY · Private

$53,358
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $42,813
Graduates: 28
Acceptance: 11.9%
#8
B

Brown University

Providence, RI · Private

$53,108
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $50,186
Graduates: 49
Acceptance: 5.2%
#9
B

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA · Private

$52,941
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $49,507
Graduates: 50
Acceptance: 32.0%
#10
S

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private

$52,941
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $34,053
Graduates: 23
Acceptance: 61.2%
#11
G

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private

$52,524
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $51,297
Graduates: 204
Acceptance: 13.1%
#12
C

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$52,107
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $51,469
Graduates: 92
Acceptance: 8.2%
#13
W

Williams College

Williamstown, MA · Private

$51,482
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $47,987
Graduates: 53
Acceptance: 10.0%
#14
U

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA · Private

$50,677
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $49,929
Graduates: 78
Acceptance: 5.9%
#15
B

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME · Private

$50,231
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $51,934
Graduates: 65
Acceptance: 8.0%
#16
U

University of Maryland Global Campus

Adelphi, MD ·

$50,231
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $52,749
Graduates: 44
Acceptance: N/A
#17
B

Bryant University

Smithfield, RI · Private

$50,231
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 65.6%
#18
R

Rice University

Houston, TX · Private

$50,231
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 7.9%
#19
N

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA · Private

$49,744
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $45,238
Graduates: 106
Acceptance: 16.5%
#20
N

Northeastern University

Boston, MA · Private

$49,744
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $45,238
Graduates: 106
Acceptance: 5.7%
#21
N

Northeastern University Professional Programs

Boston, MA ·

$49,744
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $45,238
Graduates: 106
Acceptance: N/A
#22
W

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC · Private

$49,618
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $49,727
Graduates: 54
Acceptance: 21.6%
#23
Y

Yale University

New Haven, CT · Private

$48,823
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $57,333
Graduates: 67
Acceptance: 4.5%
#24
N

New York University

New York, NY · Private

$48,823
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $48,488
Graduates: 103
Acceptance: 9.4%
#25
A

Amherst College

Amherst, MA · Private

$48,432
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $51,419
Graduates: 35
Acceptance: 9.8%
#26
U

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public

$48,432
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $45,129
Graduates: 83
Acceptance: 16.9%
#27
N

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private

$47,846
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $45,960
Graduates: 84
Acceptance: 7.1%
#28
B

Barnard College

New York, NY · Private

$47,846
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $48,807
Graduates: 33
Acceptance: 8.0%
#29
V

Villanova University

Villanova, PA · Private

$47,650
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $39,029
Graduates: 87
Acceptance: 25.1%
#30
J

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD · Private

$47,260
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $52,083
Graduates: 28
Acceptance: 7.6%
#31
P

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ · Private

$47,260
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $37,831
Graduates: 47
Acceptance: 4.5%
#32
G

George Washington University

Washington, DC · Private

$47,142
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $44,076
Graduates: 235
Acceptance: 43.5%
#33
C

Colby College

Waterville, ME · Private

$47,118
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $43,972
Graduates: 31
Acceptance: 6.8%
#34
F

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT · Private

$46,790
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 45.0%
#35
L

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA · Private

$46,790
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 29.3%
#36
P

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA · Private

$46,478
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $41,350
Graduates: 34
Acceptance: 49.9%
#37
C

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA · Private

$46,357
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $44,436
Graduates: 91
Acceptance: 21.1%
#38
S

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN · Private

$45,715
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 81.1%
#39
C

Connecticut College

New London, CT · Private

$45,696
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $43,434
Graduates: 28
Acceptance: 38.3%
#40
U

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN · Private

$45,696
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $43,036
Graduates: 96
Acceptance: 12.4%
#41
U

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY · Private

$45,696
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $43,431
Graduates: 39
Acceptance: 35.9%
#42
A

American University

Washington, DC · Private

$45,655
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $45,217
Graduates: 155
Acceptance: 47.4%
#43
U

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$45,220
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $40,526
Graduates: 308
Acceptance: 11.7%
#44
H

Hope College

Holland, MI · Private

$44,942
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,988
Graduates: 22
Acceptance: 75.8%
#45
S

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

$44,869
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $52,109
Graduates: 50
Acceptance: 43.8%
#46
P

Providence College

Providence, RI · Private

$44,649
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $36,317
Graduates: 53
Acceptance: 48.7%
#47
L

Lafayette College

Easton, PA · Private

$44,468
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $46,408
Graduates: 47
Acceptance: 31.5%
#48
C

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

$44,356
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $37,003
Graduates: 51
Acceptance: 96.8%
#49
B

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA · Private

$44,356
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $42,983
Graduates: 64
Acceptance: 35.3%
#50
B

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Private

$44,276
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $45,951
Graduates: 136
Acceptance: 15.7%

Data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard - earnings data for graduates with this field of study.

Earnings: Median earnings 2 years after graduation for students who completed this major.

College logos from Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA).