Best Political Science Schools Near Melrose, MA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Melrose, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $6,168 to $14,899 per year for indexed programs. Melrose has a population of about 29,488. Median household income is $126,854 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 62.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Management Analysts at a median $135,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Melrose

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political science programs near Melrose, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Melrose 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:

  • 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 Melrose. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Tufts University

Medford, MA 4.4 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,214
Avg net price $39,998/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA 6.0 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,173
Avg net price $31,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 6.4 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $101,817
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 174

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Suffolk University

Boston, MA 6.7 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,506
Avg net price $29,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 6.9 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,372
Avg net price $20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Boston University

Boston, MA 7.6 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,238
Avg net price $24,402/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 228

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 8.1 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Emmanuel College

Boston, MA 8.3 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,245
Avg net price $26,706/yr
Tuition
In‑state$48,550
Out‑of‑state$48,550
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts political science page.

Political Science Wages Near Melrose

Melrose is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $133,930 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $123,666
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $131,690 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $121,597
Management Analysts $135,640 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $125,245
Public Relations Specialists $81,440 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $75,199
Survey Researchers $74,890 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $69,151
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $79,850 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $73,730
Compliance Officers $103,940 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $95,974
Social and Community Service Managers $85,430 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $78,883

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.

Melrose at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,488 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $126,854 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 62.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Melrose-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Melrose, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Melrose. The closest is Tufts University in Medford, MA (4.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Suffolk University (6.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Melrose?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Melrose are: Management Analysts ($135,640), Political Scientists ($133,930), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($131,690). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Malden instead of Melrose?

Malden, MA is 1.7 miles from Melrose 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 Melrose an affordable place to study political science?

Melrose’s median household income of $126,854 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Melrose while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Melrose

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Melrose:

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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