Best Political Science Colleges in Ohio2026 Rankings
Ohio is home to 46 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, Denison University is the most selective, admitting 17% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $37,799, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $39,895. Median early-career earnings for Political Science graduates in this state average $36,025 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 65%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenyon CollegePrivate | Excellent· 47 | 31% | 87% | $13,777 | $39,550 | 9:1 | 33 | 1,753 |
| 2 | Case Western Reserve UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 29% | 87% | $19,106 | $67,614 | 9:1 | 66 | 6,108 |
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main CampusPublic | Excellent· 44 | 51% | 88% | $12,683 | $35,977 | 18:1 | 129 | 44,617 |
| 4 | Denison UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 42 | 17% | 80% | $15,451 | $31,272 | 9:1 | 42 | 2,398 |
| 5 | Oberlin CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 33% | 79% | $23,475 | $30,187 | 9:1 | 36 | 2,950 |
| 6 | University of DaytonPrivate | Great· 39 | 62% | 82% | $26,840 | $53,482 | 15:1 | 65 | 8,099 |
| 7 | The College of WoosterPrivate | Great· 39 | 54% | 74% | $23,052 | $38,727 | 10:1 | 41 | 1,876 |
| 8 | John Carroll UniversityPrivate | Great· 38 | 81% | 76% | $22,871 | $28,507 | 13:1 | 40 | 2,228 |
| 9 | Ohio Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | Great· 38 | 51% | 62% | $15,819 | $27,165 | 11:1 | 62 | 1,450 |
| 10 | Wilberforce UniversityPrivate | Great· 38 | 53% | 16% | $10,244 | $31,870 | 12:1 | 27 | 602 |
| 11 | Ursuline CollegePrivate | Great· 38 | 84% | 53% | $20,362 | $66,066 | 7:1 | 35 | 630 |
| 12 | Miami University-OxfordPublic | Great· 38 | 82% | 82% | $24,142 | $46,428 | 15:1 | 99 | 16,361 |
| 13 | Ohio Northern UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 73% | 74% | $22,253 | $51,540 | 13:1 | 55 | 2,386 |
| 14 | Marietta CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 79% | 58% | $16,626 | $42,448 | 9:1 | 41 | 1,035 |
| 15 | Baldwin Wallace UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 77% | 69% | $23,535 | $31,696 | 9:1 | 68 | 2,775 |
| 16 | Franciscan University of SteubenvillePrivate | Strong· 37 | 72% | 77% | $19,272 | $37,285 | 19:1 | 33 | 2,775 |
| 17 | Cedarville UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 63% | 74% | $20,141 | $45,463 | 15:1 | 60 | 3,815 |
| 18 | Antioch CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 82% | 26% | $6,602 | $24,492 | 6:1 | 11 | 127 |
| 19 | Otterbein UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 83% | 69% | $20,323 | $40,710 | 12:1 | 61 | 2,055 |
| 20 | Capital UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 73% | 66% | $22,265 | $39,807 | 10:1 | 42 | 1,709 |
| 21 | Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 84% | 64% | $19,173 | $39,999 | 12:1 | 49 | 1,346 |
| 22 | Walsh UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 78% | 62% | $19,692 | $48,514 | 13:1 | 45 | 1,294 |
| 23 | Lake Erie CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 64% | 42% | $18,863 | $39,461 | 12:1 | 32 | 678 |
| 24 | University of Mount UnionPrivate | Good· 33 | 80% | 65% | $20,206 | $41,037 | 12:1 | 57 | 1,785 |
| 25 | Youngstown State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 80% | 53% | $13,171 | $28,148 | 18:1 | 76 | 7,340 |
| 26 | Muskingum UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 82% | 53% | $18,945 | $36,592 | 13:1 | 54 | 1,407 |
| 27 | University of Akron Main CampusPublic | Good· 33 | 71% | 48% | $14,771 | $26,574 | 16:1 | 93 | 10,011 |
| 28 | Ohio Christian UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 40% | 36% | $20,820 | $37,996 | 11:1 | 27 | 816 |
| 29 | Ohio University-Main CampusPublic | Good· 32 | 85% | 66% | $18,808 | $38,753 | 18:1 | 101 | 18,456 |
| 30 | Xavier UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 88% | 71% | $31,527 | $41,710 | 11:1 | 62 | 4,723 |