Best Political Science colleges in California 2025

Best Political Science colleges in California for 2025

Stanford University
Stanford, CA
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Stanford University offers 3 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 102 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 72 Bachelor's degrees, 19 Doctoral degrees, and 11 Master's degrees.

When people think of Cal, liberal student activism often comes to mind. Berkeley gained national attention in 1964 for The Free Speech Movement, a student protest in response to the administration’s ban on political activity. Since then, Cal students have been vocal about various other causes, ranging from women’s rights to ending apartheid in South Africa.

So as you might imagine, political science students here tend to be passionate. And the department gives them plenty to be excited about – over 100 courses at the undergraduate and graduate level throughout the academic year. Yes, you’ll find traditional intro courses that provide necessary fundamentals. But you also might choose a class such as “When Government Partners with Business – Baseball, Football, Basketball and Museums” or “Latinos and the U.S. Political System.” The knowledge gained will certainly help you carry on the proud Cal tradition of producing inquisitive, active citizens like alums U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren and Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

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University of Southern California offers 2 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 137 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 118 Bachelor's degrees, and 19 Doctoral degrees.

University of California-Santa Barbara offers 3 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize suburb. In 2023, 330 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 322 Bachelor's degrees, 5 Doctoral degrees, and 3 Master's degrees.

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University of California-Los Angeles offers 4 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 675 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 653 Bachelor's degrees, 17 Doctoral degrees, and 5 Master's degrees.

University of California-Davis offers 3 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small suburb. In 2023, 278 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 269 Bachelor's degrees, 6 Doctoral degrees, and 3 Master's degrees.

University of California-San Diego offers 3 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 334 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 314 Bachelor's degrees, 10 Master's degrees, and 10 Doctoral degrees.

University of California-Irvine offers 3 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 282 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 269 Bachelor's degrees, 8 Doctoral degrees, and 5 Master's degrees.

University of California-Santa Cruz offers 3 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2023, 145 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 141 Bachelor's degrees, and 4 Doctoral degrees.

Claremont McKenna College offers 1 Political Science and Government, General degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 34 Political Science and Government, General students graduated with students earning 34 Bachelor's degrees.

List of all Political Science colleges in California

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Stanford University Logo Stanford University Stanford, CA
5/5
12 : 1 18,446
University of California-Berkeley Logo University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA
3/5
23 : 1 45,699
University of Southern California Logo University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
5/5
22 : 1 47,147
University of California-Santa Barbara Logo University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
3/5
24 : 1 26,068
University of California-Los Angeles Logo University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
3/5
23 : 1 46,678