Most Selective Highest Earnings Best Value Free Tuition UK Universities

Best Schools for Political Science and Government

Political Science and Government graduates earn a median of $34,462 within two years of graduation, ranking #165 out of 292 tracked majors — 3% below the median across all fields. There are 532 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 30,260 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Dartmouth College graduates earn $62,192 while University of Hawaii at Hilo graduates earn $16,478 — a $45,714 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Political Science and Government graduates see an average 5% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

532
Schools
$34,462
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#165
of 292 Majors
30,260
Graduates

Public vs Private: Political Science and Government

Public (305 schools)
$32,492
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (220 schools)
$36,922
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $4,430 more in early earnings on average for Political Science and Government graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Political Science and Government by State

New York
51 schools
$34,518
California
50 schools
$34,468
Pennsylvania
28 schools
$35,384
Massachusetts
25 schools
$39,584
Texas
24 schools
$34,440
Ohio
22 schools
$31,808
Virginia
18 schools
$37,841
Illinois
18 schools
$33,212

Top Political Science and Government Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
D

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH · Private

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

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA · Private

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

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY · Private

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

Duke University

Durham, NC · Private

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

American Public University System

Charles Town, WV ·

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

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY · Private

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

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY · Private

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

Brown University

Providence, RI · Private

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

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA · Private

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

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private

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

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private

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

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

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

Williams College

Williamstown, MA · Private

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

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA · Private

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

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME · Private

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

University of Maryland Global Campus

Adelphi, MD ·

$50,231
2yr Earnings
1yr: $52,749
Grads: 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: $45,238
Grads: 106
Acceptance: 16.5%
#20
N

Northeastern University

Boston, MA · Private

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

Northeastern University Professional Programs

Boston, MA ·

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

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC · Private

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

Yale University

New Haven, CT · Private

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

New York University

New York, NY · Private

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

Amherst College

Amherst, MA · Private

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

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public

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

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private

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

Barnard College

New York, NY · Private

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

Villanova University

Villanova, PA · Private

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

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD · Private

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

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ · Private

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

George Washington University

Washington, DC · Private

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

Colby College

Waterville, ME · Private

$47,118
2yr Earnings
1yr: $43,972
Grads: 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: $41,350
Grads: 34
Acceptance: 49.9%
#37
C

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA · Private

$46,357
2yr Earnings
1yr: $44,436
Grads: 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: $43,434
Grads: 28
Acceptance: 38.3%
#40
U

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN · Private

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

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY · Private

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

American University

Washington, DC · Private

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

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

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

Hope College

Holland, MI · Private

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

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

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

Providence College

Providence, RI · Private

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

Lafayette College

Easton, PA · Private

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

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

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

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA · Private

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

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Private

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

Showing top 50 of 532 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution $34,823 Social Sciences, Other $34,758 Urban Studies/Affairs $34,682 Criminal Justice and Corrections $34,646 Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology $34,495 Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics $34,305

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Political Science and Government?
Dartmouth College ranks #1 for Political Science and Government with median graduate earnings of $62,192 within two years. There are 532 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Political Science and Government graduates earn?
Political Science and Government graduates earn an average of $34,462 within two years of graduation. This is near the median across all majors. Earnings range from $16,478 to $62,192 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Political Science and Government program?
The average acceptance rate across Political Science and Government programs is 66.9%. The most selective program is at Harvard University with a 3.5% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Political Science and Government?
Private Political Science and Government programs average $36,922 in early earnings vs $32,492 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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