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The Best Universities for Politics & Government in the USA (2024)

Written by Vincent Hedman

Why Study Politics & Government in the USA

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Politics & Government at a university in the USA. Here are just a few:

  • A Politics & Government Masters programme in the USA offers a comprehensive exploration of American government and politics, international relations, political theory, and comparative politics, enhancing your understanding of the dynamics that shape governmental policies and processes.
  • American universities are renowned for their academic excellence, offering access to leading scholars in Politics and Government, state-of-the-art research facilities, extensive libraries, and archives not readily available elsewhere.
  • Studying in such an internationally focused context allows students to build networks with peers from around the world as well as with professionals who are deeply embedded in global politics.
  • Many programmes offer or even require internships as part of the curriculum. These opportunities can include placements in government agencies, NGOs, advocacy groups, or international organisations headquartered in the US., ensuring practical experience alongside theoretical learning.

The Best Colleges in the USA for Politics & Government

The following tables gives the 10 top colleges / universities in the USA for Politics & Government, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which American universities are amongst the best in the world - and help you compare institutions on an international level.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

If you're wondering how these rankings affect your decision, our guide has more information on how to use international rankings as a postgraduate.


Top 10 Universities in the USA for Politics & Government (Times Higher Education)
University USA Rank Global Rank
Massachusetts Institute of Technology =1 =1
Stanford University =1 =1
Harvard University 3 4
Princeton University 4 5
University of California, Berkeley 5 7
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 6 9
Yale University 7 10
University of Chicago 8 11
Columbia University 9 12
University of Pennsylvania 10 13
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the Times Higher Education rankings?

The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.


Top 10 Universities in the USA for Politics & Government (QS)
University USA Rank Global Rank
Harvard University 1 1
Princeton University 2 4
Stanford University 3 6
University of California, Berkeley 4 9
Yale University 5 10
Columbia University 6 13
University of Chicago 7 15
New York University 8 16
Georgetown University 9 17
University of California, Los Angeles 10 =19
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by QS World University Rankings. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the QS rankings?

The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.


Top 10 Universities in the USA for Politics & Government (ARWU)
University USA Rank Global Rank
Stanford University 1 1
Harvard University 2 2
Princeton University 3 3
Yale University 4 5
New York University 5 6
Columbia University 6 8
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 7 9
University of Pennsylvania 8 10
University of California, San Diego 9 12
University of California, Berkeley 10 13
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the ARWU rankings?

The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.


Last updated: 14 October 2024