Political science is the study of politics and political systems at the local, national and international levels. 150 California political science colleges offer certificates, associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in government politics, political science, and international relations.

Looking for a college with strong offerings in political science? If you want to study Political Science at undergraduate or graduate level, then you have come to the right place. Here we have compiled a list of the Best Colleges in California for Political Science to help you find an option that fits your needs.

Through our list below, you can learn about top university’s departments of political science. So go ahead, click the links below for more information about each college’s that offer political science program and opportunities. Good Luck!!!

Stanford University

The Department of Political Science is dedicated to understanding and explaining politics. They offer courses on a range of topics both on domestic and international politics. Students study governance systems, public policies, political behavior, and institutional design. The department prepares students not only to be effective citizens but for a large number of contemporary careers which require analytic thinking and the knowledge of sophisticated research methods. The Department of Political Science offers a Master of Arts in Political Science for current Stanford University doctoral or professional school students. The principal goal of the Stanford Ph.D. program in political science is the training of scholars.

Founded In: 1885
Ranking: 1st
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 46,320 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 650-723-1806
Website: https://politicalscience.stanford.edu/

University of Southern California

USC’s Political Science undergraduate program offers a systematic study of political institutions and processes. Its program prepares students for careers in government, law, administration, research, public policy, consulting, and related professions. USC’s Department of Political Science and the School of International Relations jointly offer the Political Science and International Relations (POIR) Ph.D. program. The goal is to combine rigorous training in the core literature of both political science and international relations, with flexible, student-centered training in research on the frontiers of both disciplines. Political science undergraduates also continue their education in graduate and professional schools.

Founded In: 1880
Ranking: 2nd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 50,210 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (213) 740 – 6998
Website: https://dornsife.usc.edu/politicalscience/

University of California Los Angeles

The UCLA Department of Political Science celebrated ninety-six years of teaching, research, and public service within one of the nation’s finest universities. Among the department’s many strengths, we have gained notable distinction in political economy, electoral behavior, comparative politics — including the politics of developing nations — and political theory. The department’s greatest resource is its distinguished faculty. The faculty’s teaching and research continue to put the program at the forefront of its field. The department’s primary goal remains focused on providing the best possible education for students seeking to develop expertise in the field of political science by instilling solid skills in research and analytic reasoning.

Founded In: 1919
Ranking: 3rd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 12,763 USD, Out-of-state 37,471 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (310) 825-4331
Website: https://www.polisci.ucla.edu/

University of California Berkeley

The Political Science major is concerned with exploring the exercise of power in its myriad forms and consequences. Undergraduate courses in Political Science vary from large lectures of 450 students to small seminars of 18 students. Political science is the study of governments, political systems and processes, political behavior, political philosophy, and public policy. The courses are challenging, often emphasizing critical reading and analytical writing. Its faculty and students work with over twenty specialized and interdisciplinary institutes and center around campus on issues important to political science and its world today.

Founded In: 1868
Ranking: 4th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,431 USD, Out-of-state 38,139 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (510) 642-6323
Website: http://polisci.berkeley.edu/

University of California San Diego

The Ph.D. program in Political Science at the University of California, San Diego is consistently recognized as one of the top ten programs in the nation. UC San Diego Political Science took its place among our ivy-covered peers not by following their traditions but carving out its own paths, helping to change the way that its discipline approaches the study of the political world. Political Science is the sixth largest major on campus, with over nine percent of UCSD students graduating from our department. Its department offers a general political science major along with seven areas of concentration – American politics, comparative politics, data analytics, international relations, political theory, public law, and public policy. In recent years, many of its students have been admitted to leading graduate programs in political science, international business, economics, and law.

Founded In: 1960
Ranking: 5th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,530 USD, Out-of-state 38,238 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (858) 534-2230
Website: https://polisci.ucsd.edu/

University of California Santa Barbara

The Department of Political Science at UC Santa Barbara has been home to top scholars engaged in cutting-edge research. The Department prides itself on first-rate teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Department of Political Science offers a balanced program, emphasizing the integration of theory and practice rather than any single approach or methodology. It also offers flexible programs of graduate study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Its Ph.D. program combines rigorous training in research methods, breadth of coursework across the discipline, and flexibility through a comparatively large set of options for qualifying fields.

Founded In: 1891
Ranking: 6th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,968 USD, Out-of-state 38,676 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 805-893-4192
Website: http://www.polsci.ucsb.edu/

University of California Irvine

The Department of Political Science is a nationally-ranked, top-40 department. The UCI Department of Political Science offers a wide variety of courses at the introductory, lower-division, and more specialized upper-division levels. Courses are offered in both micropolitics (individual and group politics) and macropolitics (politics at the state and international levels). The department also offers an honors program in political science for juniors and seniors, culminating in a senior honors thesis. The Ph.D. program offers big payoffs to our graduate students because of the extended range of inquiry an interdisciplinary program affords. The department offers interdisciplinary emphases in democracy studies, political economy and public choice, political psychology, and race and ethnic politics.

Founded In: 1965
Ranking: 7th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,252 USD, Out-of-state 37,960 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 949.824.2766
Website: https://www.polisci.uci.edu/

University of California Davis

UC Davis Political Science graduates who have attained positions of prominence in politics and academia attest to its consistently excellent record of career placement. The Department of Political Science undergraduate curriculum helps students develop and refine their analytical and argumentation abilities. The UC Davis Department of Political Science offers three specialized, focused undergraduate majors: Political Science, Political Science – Public Service, and International Relations. The goal of its doctoral program is to train graduate students to become accomplished scholars and teachers in the field of political science.

Founded In: 1905
Ranking: 8th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,951 USD, Out-of-state 38,659 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 530-752-0966
Website: http://ps.ucdavis.edu/

University of California Riverside

Political Science aims to provide an understanding of basic political processes and institutions as these operate in different national and cultural contexts. The study of political science provides undergraduates with possible career opportunities in a variety of areas including law, government service, education, journalism, and business. The Graduate Political Science Program at the University of California, Riverside prepares students for research and teaching in academic institutions. The Department offers a small, research-oriented program.  Students receive the broad methodological training needed to succeed as political scientists.

Founded In: 1907
Ranking: 9th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,527 USD, Out-of-state 38,235 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (951) 827-5312
Website: http://politicalscience.ucr.edu/

California State University Long Beach

The CSULB Political Science Department is known as one of the top political science programs in the CSU system, and one of the most reputable non-Ph.D. granting political science programs in the region. CSULB political science offers undergraduate and MA students a wide range of rigorous, intellectually-challenging courses taught by a diverse and talented faculty who take both teaching and research seriously. Political science is a recognized academic discipline that combines the best aspects of the liberal arts tradition. The political science major is designed to help students learn to think seriously and carefully about politics while preparing them for a wide variety of careers. The program provides a solid foundation in the traditional concerns of the discipline as well as broad exposure to the various things that impinge upon and are affected by the political world.

Founded In: 1949
Ranking: 10th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 6,452 USD, Out-of-state 17,612 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (562) 985-4704
Website: http://www.csulb.edu/political-science