Best Political Science Schools Near Schenectady, NY (2026)

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

Schenectady, New York has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $10,866 to $31,256 per year for indexed programs. Schenectady has a population of about 68,521. Median household income is $56,398 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $104,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Schenectady

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

Union College

Schenectady, NY 1.1 miles from Schenectady
  • 4 year
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $88,604
Avg net price $34,561/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Schenectady

Schenectady is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area (BLS area code 10580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A NY statewide –
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $104,050 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $104,468
Management Analysts $83,690 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $84,026
Public Relations Specialists $68,240 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $68,514
Survey Researchers $86,890 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $87,239
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $60,680 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $60,924
Compliance Officers $81,190 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $81,516
Social and Community Service Managers $88,410 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $88,765

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.

Schenectady at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 68,521 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,398 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 99.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Schenectady-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Schenectady, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Schenectady. The closest is Union College in Schenectady, NY (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Skidmore College (21.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Schenectady are: Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($104,050), Social and Community Service Managers ($88,410), Survey Researchers ($86,890). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Albany instead of Schenectady?

Albany, NY is 11.5 miles from Schenectady 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 Schenectady an affordable place to study political science?

Schenectady’s median household income of $56,398 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Schenectady while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Schenectady

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

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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