Rockville, Maryland has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $68,017 to $88,741 per year for indexed programs. Rockville has a population of about 67,218. Median household income is $122,384 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Scientists at a median $156,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Political Science Schools to Rockville
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political science programs near Rockville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rockville city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Rockville.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,249
Avg net price
$18,526/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,860
Avg net price
$15,678/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 96%
- Programs offered: 150
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,287
Avg net price
$22,063/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 54%
- Programs offered: 56
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$69,960
Avg net price
$16,467/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 92
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,089
Avg net price
$20,873/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,490
Avg net price
$9,977/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,335
Avg net price
$13,868/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$87,555
Avg net price
$18,809/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 164
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Maryland schools on the Maryland political science page.
Political Science Wages Near Rockville
Rockville is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Political Scientists |
$156,730 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$143,921 |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary |
$102,310 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$93,949 |
| Management Analysts |
$126,830 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$116,465 |
| Public Relations Specialists |
$101,680 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$93,370 |
| Survey Researchers |
$97,780 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$89,789 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants |
$81,590 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$74,922 |
| Compliance Officers |
$100,200 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$92,011 |
| Social and Community Service Managers |
$101,240 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$92,966 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Rockville at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
67,218 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$122,384 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
64.6% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
108.9 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Rockville-Area Cities With Political Science Programs
- Gaithersburg, MD – 4.7 mi away (67,776 pop)
- College Park, MD – 13.3 mi away (32,275 pop)
- Washington, DC – 14.4 mi away (5,191,844 pop)
- Herndon, VA – 14.7 mi away (24,393 pop)
- Greenbelt, MD – 15.6 mi away (23,909 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited political science schools are near Rockville, MD?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Rockville. The closest is Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, MD (10.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Georgetown University (12.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying political science roles near Rockville?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Rockville are: Political Scientists ($156,730), Management Analysts ($126,830), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($102,310). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Gaithersburg instead of Rockville?
Gaithersburg, MD is 4.7 miles from Rockville and has its own set of local political science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Rockville an affordable place to study political science?
Rockville’s median household income of $122,384 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Political Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Rockville
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Rockville:
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- Public Policy programs in Rockville, MD
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- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Rockville, MD
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- Entrepreneurship programs in Rockville, MD
- Interior Design programs in Rockville, MD
- Photography programs in Rockville, MD
- Sustainability Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Rockville, MD
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Rockville, MD
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Rockville, MD
- Journalism programs in Rockville, MD
- Public Relations programs in Rockville, MD
- Communication Disorders programs in Rockville, MD
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- Technical Communication programs in Rockville, MD
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- Economics programs in Rockville, MD
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- International Business programs in Rockville, MD
- Organizational Leadership programs in Rockville, MD
- Management Information Systems programs in Rockville, MD
- Nonprofit Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Operations Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Public Administration programs in Rockville, MD
- Real Estate programs in Rockville, MD
- Recreation Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Retail Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Risk Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Statistics programs in Rockville, MD
- Taxation programs in Rockville, MD
- Corrections programs in Rockville, MD
- Crime Analysis programs in Rockville, MD
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Rockville, MD
- Criminology programs in Rockville, MD
- Cybercrime programs in Rockville, MD
- Emergency Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Fire Science programs in Rockville, MD
- Forensic Science programs in Rockville, MD
- Legal Services programs in Rockville, MD
- Legal Studies programs in Rockville, MD
- Paralegal programs in Rockville, MD
- Security Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Cloud Computing programs in Rockville, MD
- Computer Engineering programs in Rockville, MD
- Innovation programs in Rockville, MD
- Mobile App Development programs in Rockville, MD
- Software Development programs in Rockville, MD
- User Experience programs in Rockville, MD
- Web Development programs in Rockville, MD
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Rockville, MD
- Machine Learning programs in Rockville, MD
- Supply Chain Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Data Analytics programs in Rockville, MD
- Public Health programs in Rockville, MD
- Human Resources programs in Rockville, MD
- Project Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Special Education programs in Rockville, MD
- Homeland Security programs in Rockville, MD
- Marketing programs in Rockville, MD
- Finance programs in Rockville, MD
- Kinesiology programs in Rockville, MD
- Sports Management programs in Rockville, MD
- Early Childhood Education programs in Rockville, MD
- Elementary Education programs in Rockville, MD
- Biology programs in Rockville, MD
- Communications programs in Rockville, MD
- Graphic Design programs in Rockville, MD
- Human Services programs in Rockville, MD
- MBA programs in Rockville, MD
- Criminal Justice programs in Rockville, MD
- Nursing programs in Rockville, MD
- Business Administration programs in Rockville, MD
- Computer Science programs in Rockville, MD
- Psychology programs in Rockville, MD
- Education programs in Rockville, MD
- Engineering programs in Rockville, MD
- Technology programs in Rockville, MD
- Liberal Arts programs in Rockville, MD
- Healthcare programs in Rockville, MD
- Cybersecurity programs in Rockville, MD
- Accounting programs in Rockville, MD
- Healthcare Administration programs in Rockville, MD
- Social Work programs in Rockville, MD
- Counseling programs in Rockville, MD
Data verified: September 5, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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