Top Political Science PhD Programs in Europe and the United States

Although summer is just getting underway in many parts of the world, fall application season is waiting just around the corner. Whether you’re a recent graduate or a professional looking to step back into academia, finding the right PhD program is not always an easy process. For that reason, it’s important to start reviewing your options early. In a post a few months back we highlighted the global Top 20 Political Science Departments, and in this post we’d like to narrow that list to the graduate level while focusing specifically on Europe and the United States.

While there are of course many other great programs around the world, such as those at the University of Tokyoand Australian National University, we feel that the abundance of top schools in Europe and the U.S. necessitate a list of their own. Each of these programs falls within the QS Top 100 list for political science departments. The order listed below, however, reflects geographical location rather than ranking, with the European institutions preceding the American.

Degree TitleUniversityLocation

1)   PhD in GovernmentLondon School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)London, United Kingdom

2)   DPhil in PoliticsOxford UniversityOxford, United Kingdom

3)   PhD in Politics and International StudiesCambridge UniversityCambridge, United Kingdom

4)   PhD in Political ScienceTrinity College DublinDublin, Ireland

5)   PhD in Political ScienceSciences Po ParisParis, France

6)   PhD in International Relations/Political ScienceThe Graduate Institute GenevaGeneva, Switzerland

7)   PhD in Political ScienceUniversity of MannheimMannheim, Germany

8)   PhD in Political Science and GovernmentAarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark

9)   PhD in Political ScienceUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark

10)  PhD in Political ScienceLund UniversityLund, Sweden

11)  PhD in Political Economy and GovernmentHarvard UniversityCambridge, Massachusetts

12)  PhD in Political ScienceYale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut

13)  PhD in GovernmentCornell UniversityIthaca, New York

14)  PhD in Political ScienceColumbia UniversityNew York, New York

15)  PhD in PoliticsNew York University (NYU)New York, New York

16)  PhD in PoliticsPrinceton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey

17)  PhD in Political ScienceGeorgetown UniversityWashington, D.C.

18)  PhD in Political ScienceUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, California

19)  PhD in Political ScienceStanford UniversityStanford, California

20)  PhD in Political ScienceUniversity of California, San DiegoLa Jolla, California

As always, head to INOMICS to browse through these and many other PhD, Master’s, MBA and summer school programs.

Photo credit: Wesley Fryer