Political science is a popular major among college students these days, but many prospective degree-earners in political science don’t realize the professional career paths they can use this major for. Political science majors often go off into legal careers, public relations careers, marketing, and many other directions you might not equate with majoring in political science.
But, first off, let’s focus on majoring in political science and then becoming a professional political scientist. according the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), the average annual pay for a political scientist is $120,430. That’s more than double the average annual wage for all occupations in general, $58,260. Moreover, another solid professional route to take with this major is to become a college political scientist professor (or political science teacher, postsecondary, as termed by the BLS). The average annual wage for a college political scientist professor is $98,980, which is also well above the average pay for all occupations combined. So, pursuing a major in political science can be both very interesting academically and remunerative. And, in more good news for potential political science majors, employment of political scientists is projected to grow by 6% over the 10 years from 2021 to 2031, according to the BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH).
Considering its popularity as a major and the interesting array of professional fields it can apply to, we decided to investigate the best colleges for political science. For our study here, BrokeScholar is focusing on identifying the best colleges for political science in Virginia. We analyzed 89 colleges in Virginia state, including both public institutions and private, not-for-profit institutions, but not-for-profit institutions. Using data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), we constructed a list of the best colleges for political science in Virginia for the academic year 2023-2024. (See the methodology section for details).
Read on to find out the best colleges for political science degrees in Virginia.
Best Colleges for Political Science in Virginia
For our political science degree study, we analyzed all the four-year public and private, not-for-profit colleges in Virginia in terms of a variety of factors. These included the type and number of degrees awarded per academic year in Political Science and Government, General; and Political Science and Government, Other (terminology provided by the NCES), graduation rates, estimated annual cost of tuition and required fees. Another critical factor was the proportion of degrees in political science compared to the student population, so that smaller private colleges could rank as well and not get pushed out by the sheer quantity of political science degrees awarded by larger public colleges.
In terms of the level of degrees awarded in political science, half of the top 10 best colleges for political science in Virginia offer it mainly on the bachelor’s degree level. Usually, it was public colleges that offered degrees in political science higher than a bachelor’s. The main reason for public colleges offering political science degrees on the graduate level is that large, public research universities (aka big state schools, like Virginia State University) have the numbers, resources, and funding to sustain vaster economies of scale than private colleges. This allows large public research colleges to fund not just political science departments, but entire schools of political science, which often can provide tailored master’s and doctoral programs in the field.
Fortunately, Virginia state also has a number of private colleges that ranked among the best colleges for political science. In the top-10 list of our choices of the best colleges for political science in Virginia, the majority of schools are private, not-for-profit ones.
Therefore, let’s take a closer look at the top 10 best colleges for political science in Virginia, including how much they cost to attend, their graduation rates, and more.
Christopher Newport University
Type: 4-year, public institution
Graduation rate: 75%
Tuition and required fees: $15,785 for in-state | $29,023 for out-of-state
Christopher Newport University is a public university in Newport News, Virginia, which is part of the larger Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area. Though a public college, it has a fairly small student population, with about 4,470 undergraduate students and over 4,580 total students. Christopher Newport University has a higher-than-average graduation rate of 75%, markedly better than the 58% average graduation rate for all the Virginia colleges in the study. And in terms of cost of attendance, its tuition rate for out-of-state students is low at $29,023 a year, whereas other public institutions charge much higher rates for non-resident students.
Christopher Newport University offers degrees in political science on the bachelor’s level and features the one of the highest proportions of political science bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 1.65%, meaning that majoring in political science is very popular at the school. The main undergraduate political science programs offered include its Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and minors in political science, human rights and conflict resolution, and national security studies.
According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by Christopher Newport University in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 74 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
George Mason University
Type: 4-year, public institution
Graduation rate: 70%
Tuition and required fees: $13,402 for in-state | $37,566 for out-of-state
Located in Fairfax, Virginia, George Mason University (GMU) is a public research university, founded fairly recently in 1949. George Mason University is one of Virginia’s biggest colleges, being home to nearly 27,000 undergraduate students and over 38,000 students in total. Even with this size, GMU maintains a solid graduation rate of 70%, which is 12 percentage points higher than the study’s average. As one of the best colleges for political science in Virginia, GMU offers degrees in political science on several degree levels. The principal political science programs GMU offers includes:
According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by George Mason University in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 205 awarded in Political Science and Government, Other.
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Master’s degrees: 7 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
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Doctoral degrees: 3 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
James Madison University
Type: 4-year, public institution
Graduation rate: 82%
Tuition and required fees: $13,092 for in-state | $30,152 for out-of-state
James Madison University (JMU) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. JMU is one of the bigger colleges in Virginia, with over 20,000 undergraduate students and more than 22,000 total students. Despite its large size, JMU still manages to maintain a graduation rate of 82%, which is well above the average graduation rate of 58% for the study overall. James Madison is also particularly affordable for in-state students and even its out-of-state tuition cost is cheaper than many other public Virginia colleges.
In addition to the above factors, what also makes JMU one of the best colleges for political science in Virginia is its multiple programs on offer. Although a large state school, JMU maintains a comparatively high proportion of political science bachelor’s degrees to its undergraduate population, at 0.56%. The main political science programs you can enroll in include:
According to NCES data, the principal political science degrees awarded by James Madison University in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 112 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
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Master’s degrees: 11 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
Liberty University
Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit
Graduation rate: 62%
Tuition and required fees: $24,600
Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University is a is a private Baptist university, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns. Liberty University is among the world's largest Christian universities and has a total student population of nearly 95,000, of which close to 48,000 are undergraduate students. That’s a massive student body for a private college and yet it still maintains an above-average graduation rate of 62%. Liberty University also ranks among the best colleges for political science in Virginia. Its main degrees in this study field include:
According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by Liberty University in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 148 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
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Master’s degrees: 29 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
Patrick Henry College
Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit
Graduation rate: 71%
Tuition and required fees: $28,400
Located in Purcellville, Virginia, in wealthy Loudon County, Patrick Henry College is a private liberal arts non-denominational conservative Protestant Christian college. Even for a private college, its student body is quite small, with just under 400 students in total, all of them undergraduates. Patrick Henry College has an above-average graduation rate of 71%, which is 13 percentage points higher than the study’s overall average.
Since there are only undergraduate students at Patrick Henry College, all degrees in political science are on the bachelor's degree level. However, the proportion of bachelor’s degrees in political science versus its undergraduate population is very high, at 4.13%. This was a major contributing factor to Patrick Henry College ranking among the best political science colleges in Virginia. Some of the main political science programs offered include:
According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by Patrick Henry College in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 16 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
University of Virginia
Type: 4-year, public institution
Graduation rate: 94%
Tuition and required fees: $18,236 for in-state | $54,388 for out-of-state
Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university that was founded back in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. The university is perennially ranked among the top academic institutions in the US, and it ranked No. 1 as the best college in Virginia in a separate BrokeScholar study. UVA has one of the highest graduation rates of all colleges in Virginia, at 94%. It’s also a very competitive school to get into, sporting an undergraduate admission rate of only 21%. It’s also a fairly large school, with over 17,000 undergraduate students and more than 26,000 total students. More importantly, UVA offers degrees in political science on multiple degree levels, including
According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by UVA in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 84 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
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Master’s degrees: 4 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
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Doctoral degrees: 2 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Type: 4-year, public institution
Graduation rate: 68%
Tuition and required fees: $15,642 for in-state | $37,588 for out-of-state
Located in Virginia’s capital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university, originally founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, which is a separate college that still exists today. Virginia Commonwealth University ranks among Virginia’s biggest colleges, having an undergraduate population of over 21,000 and a total student population of nearly 28,600.
VCU has a lot going for it as one of the best colleges for political science in Virginia. It has a graduation rate of 68%, which is better than the average graduation rate of 58% for all 55 Virginia colleges analyzed in the study. What’s more, despite its large size, VCU has a comparatively high proportion of political science bachelor’s degrees versus its undergraduate population, at 0.83%. This proportion combined with the larger quantity of political science degrees awarded helped VCU rank among the best schools for political science. The principal programs offered by VCU include:
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in civil rights
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in comparative politics
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in human security
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in international relations
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in political theory and methodology
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in politics and government
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in public policy and administration
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Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in U.S. government
According to NCES data, the primary political science degrees awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 177 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
Virginia Tech
Type: 4-year, public institution
Graduation rate: 87%
Tuition and required fees: $14,666 for in-state | $34,920 for out-of-state
Though its formal name is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State, this school is better known as Virginia Tech. The school is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. Although a technical school, Virginia Tech ranks among the largest colleges in Virginia, with nearly 30,000 undergraduates and over 37,000 students in total. Virginia Tech enjoys excellent academic credentials, including a graduation rate of 87%, which is nearly 30 percentage points higher than the 58% average graduation rate for the study overall. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 56%, Virginia Tech is noticeably more selective with admissions than most Virginia schools. And, in addition to being on the best colleges for political science, Virginia Tech is the No. 1 best veterinary college in Virginia.
Moreover, Virginia Tech is one of the best colleges for political science in Virginia. Virginia Tech provides political science programs on both the undergraduate and graduate level. The principal political science programs the school offers includes:
According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by Virginia Tech in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 179 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
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Master’s degrees: 13 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
Washington and Lee University
Type: 4-year, private-not-profit
Graduation rate: 94%
Tuition and required fees: $61,750
Located in Lexington, Virginia, Washington and Lee is frequently ranked highly among the best colleges in the country. And this reputation makes sense considering that its graduation rate is an exceptional 94%, which is tied for the highest in the study. In terms of admissions, Washington and Lee is one of the hardest colleges to get into in Virginia, with an undergraduate acceptance rate of just 19%. Moreover, Washington and Lee is one of the best colleges for political science in Virginia. It had a comparatively high proportion of political science bachelor’s degrees versus its undergraduate population, at 1.88%. Virginia Tech provides political science programs on only the undergraduate level. The principal political science programs the school offers includes its Bachelor of Arts in Politics.
According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by Washington and Lee in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 35 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
William & Mary
Type: 4-year, public institution
Graduation rate: 91%
Tuition and required fees: $23,970 for in-state | $47,196 for out-of-state
Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, William & Mary is public research, founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, making it the second-oldest institution of higher education in the US. The university has an undergraduate population of over 6,500 students and more than 9,500 students in total. Boasting one of the highest graduation rates in the study, at 91%, William & Mary’s rate far exceeds the 58% average graduation rate for the 55 colleges in Virginia. William & Mary also has an undergraduate acceptance rate of 37%, which is much more selective than most colleges in Virginia.
William & Mary is one of the top colleges for political science in Virginia. At William & Mary, political science falls under the Department of Government studies. The school’s principal program is its Bachelor of Arts in Government. William & Mary has one of the highest proportions of political science degrees to undergraduates, at 2.12%. According to NCES data, the main political science degrees awarded by Whitworth University in the last academic year include:
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Bachelor’s degrees: 139 awarded in Political Science and Government, General.
The Bottom Line on the Best Colleges for Political Science in Virginia
If you’re looking to attend a college in Virginia and major in political science, then you have more than a dozen excellent options to choose from. The best colleges for political science in Virginia include both large, state colleges as well as smaller private, not-for-profit schools. Furthermore, many colleges boast high numbers of degrees in political science as well as a high proportions of degrees in political science versus their student populations. The college that awarded the most bachelor’s degrees in political science was George Mason University, with 205 conferred in the last academic year alone. On the other hand, the school with the highest proportion of bachelor’s degrees in political science compared to its undergraduate student population was Patrick Henry College, at 4.13%.
Many of these Virginia colleges are affordable, though some of the public universities’ out-of-state tuition can get expensive, such as the University of Virginia, which has a non-Virginia resident tuition in excess of $54,000 a year. The private colleges, too, can get quite expensive, especially in the case of the Washington and Lee, which has a tuition cost of almost $62,600 per year. Fortunately for prospective and current students, BrokeScholar has a vast library of college scholarships for political science majors. Winning one of these scholarships can lead to a serious reduction the cost of attending college and studying political science, whether it’s on the undergraduate or graduate level.
Methodology
In order to identify the best colleges for political science in Virginia, we analyzed 55 colleges and universities that fit the following criteria:
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Are four-year, private, not-for-profit institutions or public institutions
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Offer a degree in Political Science and Government, General, and Political Science and Government, Other, on any degree level ranging from undergraduate certificates to doctoral degrees
These 55 colleges and universities were sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as was data on their respective undergraduate populations; undergraduate graduation rates; approximate costs of tuition and required fees; the type and number of degrees awarded per academic year in marketing; and the proportion of these degrees to the undergraduate population.
