Top Universities for Politics in 2021

<p>The recently released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings/2021">QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021</a>&nbsp;features 203 of the top higher education institutions to study&nbsp;<a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/courses/politics/guide">politics and international relations</a> around the world.</p>

<p>The QS University Rankings by Subject are based on four indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper and the H-index (a way of measuring the productivity and published work of a scientist or scholar). You can find more details about the <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings/methodology">methodology</a> behind the subject rankings.</p>

<p>Read on to learn more about the best politics schools in each region. Alternatively, if you would like to explore the politics schools in further detail,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2021/politics">click here</a> to view the full table.</p>

<table 700px="" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width:="">
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<h3 align="center">Top 10 Universities for Politics in the World</h3>

<h3 align="center">Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021</h3>
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<td 88px="" width:=""><strong>Rank</strong></td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><strong>Name of Institution</strong></td>
<td 323px="" width:=""><strong>Location</strong></td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">1</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/harvard-university">Harvard University</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/north-america/united-states/guide">United States</a></td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">2</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/sciences-po">Sciences Po Paris</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/france/guide">France</a></td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">3</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-oxford">University of Oxford</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/united-kingdom/guide">United Kingdom</a></td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">4</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/princeton-university">Princeton University</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:="">United States</td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">5</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/london-school-economics-political-science-lse">London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:="">United Kingdom</td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">6</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-cambridge">University of Cambridge</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:="">United Kingdom</td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">7</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/stanford-university">Stanford University</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:="">United States</td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">8</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/yale-university">Yale University</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:="">United States</td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">9</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/australian-national-university">Australian National University (ANU)</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/oceania/australia/guide">Australia</a></td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">=10</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/national-university-singapore-nus">National University of Singapore (NUS)</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/asia/singapore/singapore/guide">Singapore</a></td>
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<td 88px="" width:="">=10</td>
<td 271px="" width:=""><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-california-berkeley-ucb">University of California, Berkeley (UCB)</a></td>
<td 323px="" width:="">United States</td>
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<td colspan="3"><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2021/politics">See the full ranking for politics schools here&nbsp;</a></td>
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<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/north-america/united-states/guide">United States</a>&nbsp;is home to 44 of the 203&nbsp;universities featured in this year’s politics rankings with <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/north-america/canada/guide">Canada</a> claiming seven.</p>

<p>Harvard University&nbsp;bags the top spot for the best politics school in the world for the sixth consecutive year. It earns perfect scores several indicators including the H-index, which measures the productivity and impact of the work produced by scholars at the school. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The US is also home to the <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/massachusetts-institute-technology-mit">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT,14th) which scores exceptionally well in the employer reputation indicator, despite dropping five places this year in the index. A number of prestigious internship opportunities are open to MIT politics undergraduates, including the MIT Washington DC Summer Internship programme. These internships provide opportunities for students to network with government executives and leaders and gain first-hand experience of political and policy activity.</p>

<p>Canada’s highest ranked politics programme is found at the <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-toronto">University of Toronto</a> (27th) which earns a strong score in the H-index this year. The University of Toronto’s faculty frequently publishes high quality research used by academics around the world. Several faculty members have won Governor-General’s awards (a prestigious Canadian book award), and many are Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada.</p>

<p>Other noteworthy Canadian universities include <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/mcgill-university"> McGill University</a>&nbsp;(36th),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-british-columbia"> University of British Columbia</a>&nbsp;(43rd) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/universite-de-montreal">Université de Montréal</a> (51-100).</p>

<p><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/region/europe/guide">Europe</a> has an impressive total of 90 politics programmes featuring in the subject rankings this year, including 15 in the global top 50.</p>

<p>The United Kingdom is home to 27 of these universities, with four politics programmes in the top 20 this year. The University of Oxford’s politics programme ranks first in the UK for another year running.</p>

<p>Another notable UK university is <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/soas-university-london"> SOAS - School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London</a>, ranking in 21st place this year. The school earns a particularly high score in the academic reputation indicator and is widely regarded for its critical approach to the study of international politics of the Global South. The <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/essex-university"> University of Essex</a> has largest change in the UK this year, falling 19 places to joint 48th.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/sciences-po">Sciences Po Paris</a> takes the title of the best continental European university to study politics. In second place globally, it earns a perfect score for academic reputation. Sciences Po Paris’ politics programmes aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice and students are taught by some of the world’s best academics and global leaders. <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/france/guide"> France</a> has three other politics programmes in the ranking in 2021, including <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/universite-paris-1-pantheon-sorbonne">Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne</a> which also places in the top 100.</p>

<p>Eight of Europe’s politics programmes are located in <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/germany/guide"> Germany</a>, whose top politics school this year is <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/freie-universitaet-berlin/undergrad"> Freie Universität Berlin</a> in 20th place. <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/denmark/guide"> Denmark</a>’s three featured universities include <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-copenhagen">University of Copenhagen</a> in joint 33rd place. Meanwhile <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/ireland/guide"> Ireland</a> and <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/belgium/guide"> Belgium</a> each have two universities featured in this year’s politics subject rankings.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/switzerland/guide">Switzerland</a> and <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/spain/guide">Spain</a> each boast six universities in this year’s rankings. Switzerland’s <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/eth-zurich-swiss-federal-institute-technology">ETH Zurich</a> (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) performs particularly well in 37th. It earns a high score in the research citations indicator, with its politics department issuing around 500 publications every year.</p>

<p>Also counting six universities in the index this year are <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/netherlands/guide"> Netherlands</a> and <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/italy/guide">Italy</a>. These include the Netherlands’ <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/leiden-university">Leiden University</a> (22nd) and <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-amsterdam"> University of Amsterdam</a> (26th). <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/italy/guide"> Italy</a>’s<a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/european-university-institute"> European University Institute</a> and <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/luiss-university"> Luiss Guido Carli University</a> both place in the top 50 for politics, ranking 40th and joint 48th respectively.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/russia/guide">Russia</a> and <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/sweden/guide">Sweden</a> each have four politics programmes in the rankings this year, including Russia’s <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/mgimo-university">Moscow State Institute of International Relations</a> (MGIMO, 41st). MGIMO earns a high score for employer reputation this year, with many of its politics graduates finding work in government and international organizations and several going on to work in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/poland/guide">Poland</a>, <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/norway/guide">Norway</a>, <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/hungary/guide">Hungary</a>, <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/finland/guide">Finland</a>, <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/estonia/guide">Estonia</a>, <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/czech-republic/guide">Czech Republic</a> and <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/europe/austria/guide">Austria</a> each only have a single entry in the politics subject rankings this year. Of these seven locations, Hungary performs the best, with <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/central-european-university">Central European University</a> ranking 25th worldwide for its politics programme.  </p>