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What are the best colleges for a major in Government/Political Science

I am a 9th grader who is thinking about a career in politics/government. I have the career i want to pursue, I just don't know where to do it. #government #college #college-major #career #political-science #college-major

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Senya’s Answer

There are many great universities that provide political science programs. For example some schools that come to mind include UC Berkeley, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, Princeton, Yale, UPenn, Vassar, University of Chicago, Georgetown or American University. If you are especially interested in US government, going to a school in DC can provide you many opportunities to be in the thick of policy and provide you many internships that are local to the school.

In general though, political science is an exciting field to study in college, and many universities provide robust courses! As a result, if you google "best political science colleges," you will find a host of schools that are rated across the country. What's great about this is it means any school can be the right school for you!

To find the school that is the best fit for you, I would suggest to think through a few different components:
- Are you looking to be close to home or away? For example, California such as Berkeley and Stanford are known for their political science programs.
- Are you looking for a school that has a big campus or a smaller, more intimate environment?
- Are there extracurricular activities or clubs that you would be interested in?
- Is there a certain field in political science that intrigues you most - e.g. international relations, campaigning, policy development, or maybe even pre-law? Different schools focus on some of these fields more than others.

Senya recommends the following next steps:

Jot down what's most important to you in a college. In addition to the major, think through campus life, size, location, proximity to home, grade requirements, and cost
Research different university poli-sci programs. Many websites list stats on how many students got internships, top employers, etc
Review the poli-sci course list provided and see if the college offers poli-sci events/graduate program - e.g. Columbia University has a department that hosts many international relation events free to its students (You can google this or ask a campus representative to provide)
Visit the school if you can or schedule a virtual check in! This is a great way to feel the vibe and hear directly from students who attend the college
Feel confident in your decision! No matter where you go, college is just one stepping stone in your future career! Enjoy the time, challenge yourself, and live in the moment!
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Quinci’s Answer

You should probably look for colleges in Washington D.C because besides school work you will find outside opportunities in political science because you’re in Washington D.C the capital of political powerhouse!
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Jestin’s Answer

The academic world is your oyster as it relates to where to go to school to study. Don't feel pressured to go to school in one specific part of the country, but go to school where you are most comfortable and where you can thrive. For example, if you want to become a City Manager, Univ. of Kansas, Cleveland State, and USC all are highly recognized in City Management, but schools like Georgia State, Univ. of Georgia and Valdosta State have rich programs with a great reputation.

As stated by others, get involved with your local government by joining youth commissions or volunteering with a city or county government if you have in interest with city politics.

Check out www.icma.org
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Tatiana’s Answer

Hi Havana!


What kind of politics career are you interested in: an active politician or an analyst/administrator ? You see, counter-intuitive as it may sound, most of the keen politicians in the US actually majored in Law, not in Political Science or even Public Policy; because it’s the Law degrees that help them navigate the ins and outs of the legislative process that lays at the heart of any public policy. So, unless you are fond of Political Science for its own sake, I’d suggest you do additional research and maybe shift your focus. Of course, you can still major in Political Science, get the degree and use it to find positions in public administration that support policymakers through communications, PR, analysis, etc.


The leading universities in both Political Science and Law would be Standford, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, etc.

However, no matter what degree you get, and from what university you graduate, if you want to become an actual politician, you’ll need to actively start at the “grassroots” level, to stand out, make a difference and get promoted or elected to a more prominent role. To do so, get involved with whatever party or civic organization you support in your local community and move up. I wish you the best of luck!


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Tatiana recommends the following next steps:

Enroll in a partisan/civic movement to get the firsthand experience of public policy in the making.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me. I’m interested in being an active politician. Why does a degree in law help to navigate politics? Havana
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