Best Political Scientist programs in Ohio, ranked by enrollment
Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology.
48 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,467 people a year. The job pays a median of $119,370 in Ohio across about 40 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
9 programs in Ohio that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (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 Ohio page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science and Government, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.1001In Ohio → | 1,078 | 73.5% | 45 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 2 | International Relations and Affairsmain feeder CIP 45.0901In Ohio → | 174 | 11.9% | 8 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 3 | Political Science and Government, Othermain feeder CIP 45.1099In Ohio → | 87 | 5.9% | 6 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 4 | International/Globalization Studiesmain feeder CIP 30.2001In Ohio → | 69 | 4.7% | 14 | $32,906 | $21,966 |
| 5 | CIP 44.0501In Ohio → | 21 | 1.4% | 2 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 6 | National Security Policy Studiesmain feeder CIP 45.0902In Ohio → | 15 | 1.0% | 3 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 7 | CIP 45.0999In Ohio → | 12 | 0.8% | 2 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 8 | CIP 30.5101In Ohio → | 10 | 0.7% | 1 | — | — |
| 9 | CIP 45.1002In Ohio → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
Top 25 schools in Ohio
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 21 of the 48 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 358 | Political Science and Government, General | $35,977 | 88% | — | 61% |
| 2 | Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 176 | Political Science and Government, General | $46,428 | 80% | — | 75% |
| 3 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · 4 feeder programs | 124 | Political Science and Government, General | $37,360 | 75% | — | 85% |
| 4 | Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 120 | Political Science and Government, General | $38,753 | 65% | — | 85% |
| 5 | Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 57 | Political Science and Government, General | $31,389 | 64% | — | 86% |
| 6 | University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 51 | Political Science and Government, General | $26,574 | 52% | — | 60% |
| 7 | Kenyon College Gambier, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 49 | Political Science and Government, General | $39,550 | 82% | $20,475 | 31% |
| 8 | University of Dayton Dayton, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 46 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 80% | $28,560 | 65% |
| 9 | Xavier University Cincinnati, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 44 | Political Science and Government, Other | $41,710 | 69% | $31,119 | 86% |
| 10 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 37 | Political Science and Government, General | $37,329 | 64% | — | 81% |
| 11 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 33 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 87% | $27,976 | 37% |
| 12 | The College of Wooster Wooster, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 32 | Political Science and Government, General | $38,727 | 74% | $22,491 | 60% |
| 13 | Denison University Granville, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Political Science and Government, General | $31,272 | 79% | $23,864 | 17% |
| 14 | University of Toledo Toledo, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Political Science and Government, General | $32,586 | 57% | — | 92% |
| 15 | Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH Public · 4 feeder programs | 29 | Political Science and Government, General | $27,477 | 42% | — | 96% |
| 16 | Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Political Science and Government, General | $28,148 | 50% | — | 84% |
| 17 | Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Political Science and Government, General | $26,204 | 51% | — | 91% |
| 18 | John Carroll University University Heights, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Political Science and Government, General | $28,507 | 79% | $25,705 | 81% |
| 19 | Oberlin College Oberlin, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Political Science and Government, General | $30,187 | 81% | $28,313 | 34% |
| 20 | Cedarville University Cedarville, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 18 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 73% | $22,701 | 65% |
| 21 | Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 41% | — | — |
| 22 | Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Political Science and Government, General | $31,696 | 67% | $25,104 | 76% |
| 23 | University of Mount Union Alliance, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 13 | International Relations and National Security Studies, Other | — | 59% | $21,121 | 78% |
| 24 | Ashland University Ashland, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Political Science and Government, General | $44,455 | 61% | $21,785 | 76% |
| 25 | Capital University Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Political Science and Government, General | $39,807 | 60% | $22,920 | 70% |
All 48 schools in Ohio
Every school in Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus | Public | 358 | 3 |
| Miami University - Oxford | Oxford | Public | 176 | 3 |
| University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati | Public | 124 | 4 |
| Ohio University - Main Campus | Athens | Public | 120 | 3 |
| Kent State University at Kent | Kent | Public | 57 | 3 |
| University of Akron Main Campus | Akron | Public | 51 | 3 |
| Kenyon College | Gambier | Private not-for-profit | 49 | 2 |
| University of Dayton | Dayton | Private not-for-profit | 46 | 2 |
| Xavier University | Cincinnati | Private not-for-profit | 44 | 2 |
| Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green | Public | 37 | 3 |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland | Private not-for-profit | 33 | 2 |
| The College of Wooster | Wooster | Private not-for-profit | 32 | 2 |
| Denison University | Granville | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 2 |
| University of Toledo | Toledo | Public | 30 | 2 |
| Wright State University - Main Campus | Dayton | Public | 29 | 4 |
What political scientists earn in Ohio
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $142,080. Ohio pays below 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 Ohio
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 Ohio.
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 Political Science and Government, General, which awarded 1,078 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 73.5% 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, International/Globalization Studies, Public Policy Analysis, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 1,467 people a year in Ohio.
How much do political scientists earn in Ohio?+
The median is $119,370 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 16.0% below 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 Ohio?+
48 institutions in Ohio 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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