Best Political Science and Government Schools in New York

New York has 56 colleges offering Political Science and Government programs tracked by the College Scorecard, producing 2,316 recent graduates. Graduates earn $34,518 on average within two years, roughly in line with the national average of $34,409.

School choice matters significantly: Columbia University in the City of New York graduates earn $56,415 while Rochester Institute of Technology graduates earn $26,353 — a $30,062 gap. Research each program's curriculum, employer connections, and career services before deciding.

Schools in NY

$34,518

NY Avg. Earnings

$34,409

National Avg.

631

Schools Nationally

Public vs Private: Political Science and Government in New York

Public Schools (22)

$31,292

avg. 2yr earnings

Private Schools (34)

$36,966

avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $5,674 more in early earnings on average, but typically cost more. Compare net price to determine which offers better ROI.

Political Science and Government Schools in New York, Ranked by Earnings

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%

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$52,107

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $51,469

Graduates: 92

Acceptance: 8.2%

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY · Private

$53,894

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $48,577

Graduates: 27

Acceptance: 11.8%

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY · Private

$53,358

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $42,813

Graduates: 28

Acceptance: 11.9%

New York University

New York, NY · Private

$48,823

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $48,488

Graduates: 103

Acceptance: 9.4%

Hobart William Smith Colleges

Geneva, NY · Private

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $47,695

Graduates: 44

Acceptance: 57.3%

Barnard College

New York, NY · Private

$47,846

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $48,807

Graduates: 33

Acceptance: 8.0%

St Lawrence University

Canton, NY · Private

$36,490

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $40,977

Graduates: 39

Acceptance: 58.5%

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY · Private

$36,488

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $39,308

Graduates: 144

Acceptance: 41.7%

#10

Union College

Schenectady, NY · Private

$34,081

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $42,375

Graduates: 31

Acceptance: 43.8%

#11

Fordham University

Bronx, NY · Private

$42,185

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,353

Graduates: 121

Acceptance: 56.3%

#12

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY · Private

$38,289

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $39,009

Graduates: 30

Acceptance: 64.7%

#13

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY · Public

$37,028

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,730

Graduates: 111

Acceptance: 37.7%

#14

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, NY · Public

$27,765

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,965

Graduates: 79

Acceptance: 49.0%

#15

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY · Private

$31,670

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $38,929

Graduates: 48

Acceptance: 17.7%

#16

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, NY · Private

$32,563

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $35,722

Graduates: 26

Acceptance: 22.9%

#17

The College of Saint Rose

Albany, NY · Private

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY · Private

$45,696

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $43,431

Graduates: 39

Acceptance: 35.9%

#19

SUNY College at Geneseo

Geneseo, NY · Public

$24,421

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,843

Graduates: 41

Acceptance: 63.5%

#20

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY · Public

$35,060

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $36,486

Graduates: 23

Acceptance: 70.2%

#21

Pace University

New York, NY · Private

$28,019

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,984

Graduates: 30

Acceptance: 77.1%

#22

CUNY Queens College

Queens, NY · Public

$34,526

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,479

Graduates: 79

Acceptance: 68.5%

#23

University at Albany

Albany, NY · Public

$29,882

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,038

Graduates: 156

Acceptance: 69.9%

#24

Le Moyne College

Syracuse, NY · Private

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

New York, NY · Public

$36,488

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,213

Graduates: 62

Acceptance: 50.5%

#26

Hofstra University

Hempstead, NY · Private

$40,089

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $38,345

Graduates: 49

Acceptance: 70.6%

#27

CUNY Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY · Public

$30,771

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,289

Graduates: 40

Acceptance: 53.7%

#28

Siena College

Loudonville, NY · Private

$30,771

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $38,154

Graduates: 29

Acceptance: 70.6%

#29

Canisius University

Buffalo, NY · Private

$25,194

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,606

Graduates: 23

Acceptance: 81.8%

#30

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

New York, NY · Public

$36,104

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,329

Graduates: 94

Acceptance: 57.2%

#31

CUNY Hunter College

New York, NY · Public

$32,772

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,670

Graduates: 64

Acceptance: 54.0%

#32

Hartwick College

Oneonta, NY · Private

$21,052

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,749

Graduates: 27

Acceptance: 68.7%

#33

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, NY · Public

$21,508

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $36,924

Graduates: 28

Acceptance: N/A

#34

State University of New York at Cortland

Cortland, NY · Public

CUNY City College

New York, NY · Public

$33,993

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,022

Graduates: 78

Acceptance: 58.1%

#36

Iona University

New Rochelle, NY · Private

St. John's University-New York

Queens, NY · Private

$37,478

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,874

Graduates: 32

Acceptance: 79.7%

#38

CUNY Lehman College

Bronx, NY · Public

$27,494

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,417

Graduates: 39

Acceptance: 55.4%

#39

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY · Public

$27,126

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,639

Graduates: 111

Acceptance: 69.3%

#40

SUNY Buffalo State University

Buffalo, NY · Public

$34,847

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,631

Graduates: 26

Acceptance: 75.9%

#41

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY · Public

$27,642

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,829

Graduates: 40

Acceptance: 71.3%

#42

SUNY at Fredonia

Fredonia, NY · Public

State University of New York at Oswego

Oswego, NY · Public

Manhattan University

Riverdale, NY · Private

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,013

Graduates: 17

Acceptance: 78.5%

#45

Long Island University

Brookville, NY · Private

$36,848

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $21,326

Graduates: 18

Acceptance: 89.8%

#46

State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz, NY · Public

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY · Public

$30,771

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,337

Graduates: 24

Acceptance: 75.2%

#48

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY · Private

$25,194

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,044

Graduates: 19

Acceptance: 69.9%

#49

St. Joseph's University-New York

Brooklyn, NY · Private

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,287

Graduates: 16

Acceptance: 71.4%

#50

St. Francis College

Brooklyn, NY · Private

CUNY York College

Jamaica, NY · Public

St. John Fisher University

Rochester, NY · Private

Adelphi University

Garden City, NY · Private

Niagara University

Niagara University, NY · Private

Manhattanville University

Purchase, NY · Private

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY · Private

$26,353

2yr Earnings

Acceptance: 71.4%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Political Science and Government in New York?

Columbia University in the City of New York ranks #1 for Political Science and Government in New York with median graduate earnings of $56,415 within two years of graduation. There are 56 schools offering Political Science and Government programs in the state.

How much do Political Science and Government graduates earn in New York?

Political Science and Government graduates in New York earn an average of $34,518 within two years of graduation. This is near the national average of $34,409 for this major.

What is the hardest Political Science and Government school to get into in New York?

Columbia University in the City of New York is the most selective Political Science and Government program in New York with an acceptance rate of 4.2%. The average acceptance rate across Political Science and Government programs in the state is 58.2%.

Should I attend a public or private school for Political Science and Government in New York?

In New York, private Political Science and Government programs produce average earnings of $36,966 vs $31,292 at public schools. However, public schools typically cost less — consider net price relative to earnings when calculating ROI. There are 22 public and 34 private options in the state.

Other Popular Majors in New York

Marine Transportation $73,446 Computer Science $71,535 Computer Engineering $71,263 Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology $70,176 Industrial Engineering $69,459 Construction Management $67,560 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering $66,924 Materials Engineering $66,884

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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release.