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Cambridge, MA · Political science & IR

Political science & IR at Harvard

Harvard graduates about 164 political science & international relations majors a year, 10% of its graduating class. That puts it 1st of 687 schools we score for political science & international relations, a standout program at 99 out of 100. Graduates in the major earn a median $96,000 four years out, 1.51× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $46 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

99/100Standout#1 of 687 for political science & international relations →
Graduates a year16410% of the class
Median pay 4 years out$96,0001.51× the same major nationally
Research in the field$46Ma year, NSF
Admit rate4%whole school
SAT middle 50%1490–1580whole school

Around Harvard

Langdell Hall at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Harvard Law School - Langdell HallPhoto: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0 · source
Happened to catch the glow of the evening sun reflecting on Memorial Hall today.
Memorial Hall, Perfect Evening Light (6670591133)Photo: Tim Sackton from Somerville, MA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
A rack for locking electric scooters outside Cabot Science Library at Harvard Un
Electric scooter rack outside Cabot Science Library Harvard Feb 2025Photo: 4300streetcar · CC BY 4.0 · source
Camera location42° 22′ 35.43″ N, 71° 06′ 57.87″ W View this and other nearby ima
Gregorian telescope circa 1735 in Putnam Gallery, 2009-11-24Photo: Sage Ross · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Where political science & international relations happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Lewis International Law Center.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 130 · Dorm 62 · Student housing 22 · Arts 6 · Library 6 · Chapel 4.

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Nearby in the political science & international relations ranking

  1. Brown University 98
  2. Georgetown University 97
  3. Yale University 97
  4. University of Notre Dame 96

Other strong majors at Harvard

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares Harvard with every school we score in political science & international relations. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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