Best Political Scientist programs in Maryland, ranked by enrollment
Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology.
22 schools in Maryland run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,217 people a year. The job pays a median of $153,380 in Maryland across about 100 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Maryland that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
9 programs in Maryland that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Maryland (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Maryland page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Relations and Affairsmain feeder CIP 45.0901In Maryland → | 877 | 39.6% | 8 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 2 | Political Science and Government, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.1001In Maryland → | 834 | 37.6% | 17 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 3 | CIP 44.0501In Maryland → | 301 | 13.6% | 4 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 4 | Political Science and Government, Othermain feeder CIP 45.1099In Maryland → | 81 | 3.7% | 3 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 5 | National Security Policy Studiesmain feeder CIP 45.0902In Maryland → | 55 | 2.5% | 2 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 6 | International/Globalization Studiesmain feeder CIP 30.2001In Maryland → | 42 | 1.9% | 5 | $32,906 | $21,966 |
| 7 | CIP 45.1002In Maryland → | 22 | 1.0% | 1 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 8 | CIP 45.0999In Maryland → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 9 | History and Political Sciencemain feeder CIP 30.4601In Maryland → | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | — | — |
Top 22 schools in Maryland
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 22 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 1,064 | International Relations and Affairs | $44,004 | 94% | $11,888 | 6% |
| 2 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 4 feeder programs | 543 | Political Science and Government, General | $42,688 | 89% | — | 45% |
| 3 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 113 | Political Science and Government, General | $62,476 | 33% | — | — |
| 4 | University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD Public · 4 feeder programs | 97 | Political Science and Government, General | $33,549 | 70% | — | 72% |
| 5 | United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 96 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 93% | — | 9% |
| 6 | Towson University Towson, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 64 | Political Science and Government, General | $42,648 | 69% | — | 82% |
| 7 | Morgan State University Baltimore, MD Public · 3 feeder programs | 40 | Political Science and Government, General | $37,900 | 41% | — | 82% |
| 8 | Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Political Science and Government, General | $44,572 | 79% | $26,585 | 75% |
| 9 | University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 32 | American Government and Politics (United States) | — | 38% | — | 79% |
| 10 | Salisbury University Salisbury, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 28 | Political Science and Government, General | $33,397 | 68% | — | 87% |
| 11 | St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 21 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 70% | — | 69% |
| 12 | McDaniel College Westminster, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Political Science and Government, Other | — | 63% | $18,988 | 78% |
| 13 | Washington College Chestertown, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Political Science and Government, General | $36,741 | 65% | $24,973 | 57% |
| 14 | Mount St. Mary's University Emmitsburg, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Political Science and Government, General | $29,800 | 65% | $23,136 | 74% |
| 15 | Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | International/Globalization Studies | — | 19% | — | — |
| 16 | Hood College Frederick, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 9 | International/Globalization Studies | — | 57% | $23,244 | 78% |
| 17 | Goucher College Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 57% | $22,667 | 78% |
| 18 | Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Political Science and Government, General | $41,332 | 50% | — | 89% |
| 19 | Capitol Technology University Laurel, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | International Relations and National Security Studies, Other | — | 43% | $27,179 | 74% |
| 20 | Coppin State University Baltimore, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 26% | — | 46% |
| 21 | Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | History and Political Science | — | 50% | $24,333 | 82% |
| 22 | Washington Adventist University Takoma Park, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 29% | $15,048 | 46% |
All 22 schools in Maryland
Every school in Maryland with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore | Private not-for-profit | 1,064 | 5 |
| University of Maryland - College Park | College Park | Public | 543 | 4 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | Adelphi | Public | 113 | 1 |
| University of Maryland - Baltimore County | Baltimore | Public | 97 | 4 |
| United States Naval Academy | Annapolis | Public | 96 | 1 |
| Towson University | Towson | Public | 64 | 2 |
| Morgan State University | Baltimore | Public | 40 | 3 |
| Loyola University Maryland | Baltimore | Private not-for-profit | 34 | 1 |
| University of Baltimore | Baltimore | Public | 32 | 2 |
| Salisbury University | Salisbury | Public | 28 | 2 |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | St. Mary's City | Public | 21 | 2 |
| McDaniel College | Westminster | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 1 |
| Washington College | Chestertown | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 2 |
| Mount St. Mary's University | Emmitsburg | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 2 |
| Community College of Baltimore County | Baltimore | Public | 11 | 1 |
What political scientists earn in Maryland
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $142,080. Maryland pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Political Scientists page.
How to become a Political Scientist
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Maryland
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 13 majors mapped to Political Scientists12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 30.2001International/Globalization Studies
- 30.4601History and Political Science
- 30.5101Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- 44.0501Public Policy Analysis, General
- 44.0504International Policy Analysis
- 45.0901International Relations and Affairs
- 45.0902National Security Policy Studies
- 45.0999International Relations and National Security Studies, Other
- 45.1001Political Science and Government, General
- 45.1002American Government and Politics (United States)
- 45.1003Canadian Government and Politics(no graduates reported)
- 45.1004Political Economy
- 45.1099Political Science and Government, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing political scientists programs in Maryland.
What degree do you need to become a Political Scientist?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is International Relations and Affairs, which awarded 877 degrees in Maryland in 2024-25, 39.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Political Scientist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Political Science and Government, International Relations and National Security Studies, Public Policy Analysis, International/Globalization Studies, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 2,217 people a year in Maryland.
How much do political scientists earn in Maryland?+
The median is $153,380 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 8.0% above the U.S. median of $142,080. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for political scientists growing?+
BLS projects a -3.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Maryland?+
22 institutions in Maryland reported graduates from at least one of the 9 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
Do you need training or experience beyond a degree?+
BLS lists 'None' for related work experience and 'None' for on-the-job training typically needed to reach competency.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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