Best Political Science colleges in the U.S. 2024

Princeton touts having “one of the largest and most intellectually diverse political science programs in the world.” And the university does a good job of backing up its claim -- a department composed of nearly 60 faculty scholars, 50 undergraduate courses offered per year (“Perfectionism and the Legal Enforcement of Morals” anyone?), and supervision of the work of more than 150 juniors and seniors who have chosen political science as their area of academic concentration.

For political science students who foresee a career in public service, Princeton can be an awesome first step. Its Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative, which is open to students from all majors, funds 8- to 10-week undergraduate summer internships with the federal government. You may enjoy the experience so much that you’ll later apply to the initiative’s highly competitive two-year graduate program that combines academic training with a fellowship at an executive branch department or agency. Perhaps you might work the Egypt desk in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and make recommendations about U.S. policy. Or maybe you will write a section of a Report to Congress on efforts of the Administration for Children and Families to address dating violence. What you definitely can expect is to make a difference while receiving a top-notch education.

What do William Howard Taft, Gerald Ford, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have in common (besides being past U.S. presidents)? All of them were Bulldogs at one time or another. (Rumor has it that Bush Sr. has such fond memories that he kept his old Yale baseball glove in an Oval Office desk drawer during his four years in the White House.)

Today, political science places second only to economics as the most popular major among undergraduates. And if you have a desire to pursue studies that cross departmental boundaries, Yale supports your efforts. Past interdisciplinary concentrations have included urban studies, health politics and policy, political economy, political psychology, and global affairs.

Decades before Bernie Sanders made a run at becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, he earned an undergraduate degree in political science and chaired the student chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality at U of C. The turbulent 1960s are over, but applying knowledge gained in the classroom to activities outside of it remains a part of Chicago’s culture. From working with the Partnership for the Advancement of Refugee Rights to organizing movie screenings for the Student Political Forum, students have so many chances to become involved on campus that they hardly have time to notice when winter temps dip below zero.

For those familiar with U of C’s environment, it will come as no surprise that Herbert Simon -- the only political scientist ever awarded a Nobel Prize for his intellectual achievements -- received his doctorate there. As the university boldly and proudly states:

With courses covering the spectrum from “Herodotus and Thucydides: History and Politics” to “Violence and Development in Africa” to “Politics in Chicago,” it would be hard to disagree.

OK, bet you know where we’re going with this when we toss out the names John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Yes, all of these men graced the hallowed halls of Harvard for either undergraduate studies or to pursue a law or business degree.

Interestingly, Harvard does not possess a traditional political science department. Rather, such instruction falls under the Department of Government. Why set things up this way? (You know a school this prestigious must have a good reason.) According to the department’s FAQ page:

Don’t worry, though. You’ll still leave well-versed on fundamentals such as American politics and political theory. But along the way, you may choose also to explore courses with intriguing titles such as “Is Democracy Possible Everywhere?” and “The Politics of Climate Change.”