Georgia · Political Science and Government

Best colleges for Political Science and Government in Georgia

Ranked by graduate earnings

Emory University, University of Georgia and Spelman College are the top bachelor's Political Science and Government programs in Georgia by graduate earnings. Emory University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $46,629, College Scorecard. University of Georgia, Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University award the most Political Science and Government degrees in Georgia: 250, 193 and 81 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 31 Georgia colleges offer Political Science and Government and award 1,054 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Political Science and Government program offers students an in-depth understanding of political systems, behavior, and institutions. This program is designed for individuals interested in exploring the complexities of governance,…

Institutions
31
offering CIP 45.10
States & territories
54
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,054
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$34,321
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
13
College Scorecard
Median net price
$22,535
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
51%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Political Scientists
—
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Emory University
Atlanta Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$46,6296291%$20,586$17,590
2University of Georgia
Athens Public · Bachelor's degree
$39,84225090%—$22,171
3Spelman College
Atlanta Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$39,0506578%$35,132$27,000
4University of North Georgia
Dahlonega Public · Bachelor's degree
$37,2274237%—$22,026
5Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw Public · Bachelor's degree
$36,7948152%—$25,625
6Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville Public · Bachelor's degree
$34,3212264%—$21,965
7Morehouse College
Atlanta Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$32,3402859%$36,431$25,125
8University of West Georgia
Carrollton Public · Bachelor's degree
$31,7063543%—$30,000
9Georgia Southern University
Statesboro Public · Bachelor's degree
$30,4075355%—$27,243
10Georgia State University
Atlanta Public · Bachelor's degree
$29,27519353%—$26,000

Colleges awarding the most Political Science and Government degrees in Georgia

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of Georgia
Athens Public
250$39,842
2Georgia State University
Atlanta Public
193$29,275
3Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw Public
81$36,794
4Spelman College
Atlanta Private not-for-profit
65$39,050
5Emory University
Atlanta Private not-for-profit
62$46,629
6Georgia Southern University
Statesboro Public
53$30,407
7University of North Georgia
Dahlonega Public
42$37,227
8University of West Georgia
Carrollton Public
35$31,706
9Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta Private not-for-profit
30$28,554
10Morehouse College
Atlanta Private not-for-profit
28$32,340
Show the other 21 Georgia colleges offering Political Science and Government
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Georgia Gwinnett CollegeLawrencevillePublic32
Augusta UniversityAugustaPublic26
Georgia College & State UniversityMilledgevillePublic22
Berry CollegeMount BerryPrivate not-for-profit21
Valdosta State UniversityValdostaPublic14
Oglethorpe UniversityAtlantaPrivate not-for-profit13
Albany State UniversityAlbanyPublic12
Fort Valley State UniversityFort ValleyPublic12
Agnes Scott CollegeDecaturPrivate not-for-profit10
Mercer UniversityMaconPrivate not-for-profit10
Savannah State UniversitySavannahPublic8
Georgia Military CollegeMilledgevillePublic7
Clayton State UniversityMorrowPublic6
Columbus State UniversityColumbusPublic6
Covenant CollegeLookout MountainPrivate not-for-profit3
Georgia Southwestern State UniversityAmericusPublic3
LaGrange CollegeLagrangePrivate not-for-profit3
Piedmont UniversityDemorestPrivate not-for-profit3
Middle Georgia State UniversityMaconPublic2
Reinhardt UniversityWaleskaPrivate not-for-profit1
Shorter UniversityRomePrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Political Scientists (SOC 19-3094).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
-3.1%
Decline
Openings / yr (US)
~500
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$139,380
typically Master's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingActive LearningCritical ThinkingWriting

What Political Scientists earn in Georgia

Jobs in Georgia
—
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
—
annual
Best-paying metro
—

Related careers

Social Science Research Assistants
$78,740 avg · 1,840 jobs
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
$92,890 avg · 470 jobs
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
$124,390 avg · 370 jobs
Economists
$131,680 avg · 260 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Political Science and Government programs in Georgia.

Which Georgia colleges award the most Political Science and Government degrees?+

University of Georgia (250 graduates a year), Georgia State University (193 graduates a year) and Kennesaw State University (81 graduates a year) award the most Political Science and Government degrees in Georgia, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 31 Georgia colleges offer Political Science and Government.

What is the best college for Political Science and Government in Georgia?+

By graduate earnings, Emory University leads among bachelor's Political Science and Government programs in Georgia, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $46,629, College Scorecard. University of Georgia and Spelman College follow. By degrees awarded, University of Georgia is the largest, with 250 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Political Science and Government program in Georgia has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Emory University tops the list at $46,629. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

What is the focus of the Political Science and Government program?+

The Political Science and Government program offers students an in-depth understanding of political systems, behavior, and institutions. This program is designed for individuals interested in exploring the complexities of governance,…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, active learning, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Political Scientists?+

The national job outlook is about -3.1% growth with around 500 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Master's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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