Best Political Science Schools Near Dayton, OH (2026)

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

Dayton, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Dayton has a population of about 136,741. Median household income is $43,454 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Ohio, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Scientists at a median $119,370 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Dayton

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

Sinclair Community College

Dayton, OH 1.5 miles from Dayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,558
Avg net price $5,992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 160

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH 3.1 miles from Dayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,537
Avg net price $29,533/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 114

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wright State University-Main Campus

Dayton, OH 7.2 miles from Dayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,500
Avg net price $15,415/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Dayton

Dayton is part of the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro area (BLS area code 19430). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $119,370 OH statewide $128,770
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $76,560 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $82,589
Management Analysts $101,150 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $109,115
Public Relations Specialists $63,900 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $68,932
Survey Researchers $57,630 OH statewide $62,168
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $58,680 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $63,301
Compliance Officers $68,120 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $73,484
Social and Community Service Managers $71,920 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $77,584

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.

Dayton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 136,741 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,454 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Dayton-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Dayton, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Dayton. The closest is Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wilberforce University (17.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Dayton are: Political Scientists ($119,370), Management Analysts ($101,150), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($76,560). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Riverside instead of Dayton?

Riverside, OH is 4.1 miles from Dayton 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 Dayton an affordable place to study political science?

Dayton’s median household income of $43,454 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dayton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Dayton

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

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.

Back to Best Political Science Schools in Ohio: Online Programs (2026)