Best Political Science Colleges in New York2026 Rankings
New York is home to 79 accredited institutions offering Political Science programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, Columbia University in the City of New York is the most selective, admitting 4% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $42,108, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $45,600. Median early-career earnings for Political Science graduates in this state average $32,417 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 75%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkPrivate | Elite· 51 | 4% | 95% | $5,195 | $61,077 | 6:1 | 73 | 8,899 |
| 2 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | Elite· 50 | 8% | 95% | $8,129 | $60,292 | 9:1 | 80 | 15,935 |
| 3 | Yeshiva UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 64% | 84% | $29,934 | $63,441 | 7:1 | 33 | 2,942 |
| 4 | University of RochesterPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 36% | 84% | $21,177 | $37,921 | 9:1 | 59 | 6,488 |
| 5 | Union CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 44% | 85% | $21,768 | $49,759 | 10:1 | 42 | 2,070 |
| 6 | Hamilton CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 12% | 91% | $18,336 | $58,807 | 9:1 | 37 | 2,045 |
| 7 | Colgate UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 42 | 12% | 91% | $17,685 | $56,064 | 9:1 | 43 | 3,122 |
| 8 | Molloy CollegePrivate | Great· 41 | 76% | 72% | $26,115 | $90,478 | 10:1 | 34 | 3,185 |
| 9 | Bard CollegePrivate | Great· 41 | 52% | 73% | $19,816 | $21,735 | 9:1 | 31 | 2,280 |
| 10 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegePublic | Great· 41 | 50% | 72% | $6,626 | $31,005 | 19:1 | 35 | 15,734 |
| 11 | CUNY Graduate School and University CenterPublic | Great· 41 | 39% | — | $7,410 | $74,063 | 12:1 | 108 | 3,067 |
| 12 | New York UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 9% | 88% | $18,555 | $50,783 | 8:1 | 84 | 29,430 |
| 13 | Barnard CollegePrivate | Great· 41 | 8% | 93% | $17,279 | $57,298 | 10:1 | 48 | 3,219 |
| 14 | St Lawrence UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 58% | 80% | $21,671 | $35,977 | 11:1 | 29 | 2,040 |
| 15 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 42% | 81% | $19,633 | $43,232 | 15:1 | 82 | 15,245 |
| 16 | Canisius UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 82% | 71% | $16,657 | $31,797 | 11:1 | 51 | 1,768 |
| 17 | SUNY College at GeneseoPublic | Great· 40 | 64% | 72% | $15,180 | $27,814 | 15:1 | 33 | 3,855 |
| 18 | Vassar CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 18% | 89% | $25,779 | $48,679 | 8:1 | 42 | 2,430 |
| 19 | Skidmore CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 23% | 82% | $17,308 | $42,756 | 8:1 | 36 | 2,760 |
| 20 | Hobart William Smith CollegesPrivate | Great· 40 | 57% | 73% | $19,579 | $35,381 | 10:1 | 39 | 1,606 |
| 21 | Clarkson UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 77% | 74% | $26,800 | $72,875 | 12:1 | 32 | 2,449 |
| 22 | CUNY Brooklyn CollegePublic | Great· 39 | 54% | 57% | $6,726 | $29,577 | 13:1 | 51 | 10,443 |
| 23 | CUNY Hunter CollegePublic | Great· 39 | 54% | 61% | $6,457 | $35,154 | 14:1 | 54 | 16,642 |
| 24 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | Great· 38 | 38% | 84% | $21,832 | $37,194 | 18:1 | 56 | 14,401 |
| 25 | University at BuffaloPublic | Great· 38 | 69% | 73% | $21,261 | $27,495 | 11:1 | 78 | 20,284 |
| 26 | Rochester Institute of TechnologyPrivate | Great· 38 | 71% | 71% | $25,561 | $64,393 | 13:1 | 72 | 13,225 |
| 27 | Daemen UniversityPrivate | Great· 38 | 76% | 58% | $16,325 | $64,708 | 13:1 | 35 | 1,761 |
| 28 | CUNY York CollegePublic | Great· 38 | 59% | 30% | $8,080 | $37,719 | 13:1 | 45 | 4,439 |
| 29 | CUNY Queens CollegePublic | Great· 38 | 69% | 60% | $7,186 | $34,863 | 14:1 | 49 | 13,060 |
| 30 | CUNY Lehman CollegePublic | Great· 38 | 55% | 49% | $7,516 | $43,059 | 15:1 | 50 | 10,438 |