Best Political Science Schools Near Lake Oswego, OR (2026)

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

Lake Oswego, Oregon has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Lake Oswego has a population of about 40,367. Median household income is $140,441 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 75.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Oregon, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Scientists at a median $119,460 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Lake Oswego

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

Lewis & Clark College

Portland, OR 3.0 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,205
Avg net price $36,013/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Reed College

Portland, OR 5.8 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
58.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,927
Avg net price $33,013/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Portland State University

Portland, OR 6.9 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,906
Avg net price $9,552/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 147

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Portland

Portland, OR 11.1 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
65.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,804
Avg net price $28,210/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

George Fox University

Newberg, OR 15.0 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,761
Avg net price $31,679/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR 21.2 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,583
Avg net price $35,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Linfield University

McMinnville, OR 28.3 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,638
Avg net price $26,536/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Willamette University

Salem, OR 36.7 miles from Lake Oswego
  • 4 year
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,911
Avg net price $25,121/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Lake Oswego

Lake Oswego is part of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area (BLS area code 38900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Oregon statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $119,460 OR statewide $113,340
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $82,480 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $78,254
Management Analysts $103,470 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $98,169
Public Relations Specialists $78,380 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $74,364
Survey Researchers $64,460 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $61,157
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $75,430 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $71,565
Compliance Officers $86,600 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $82,163
Social and Community Service Managers $85,600 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $81,214

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.

Lake Oswego at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,367 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $140,441 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 75.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lake Oswego-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Lake Oswego, OR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Lake Oswego. The closest is Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR (3.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is George Fox University (15.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Lake Oswego?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Lake Oswego are: Political Scientists ($119,460), Management Analysts ($103,470), Compliance Officers ($86,600). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Oregon statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Tigard instead of Lake Oswego?

Tigard, OR is 4.1 miles from Lake Oswego 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 Lake Oswego an affordable place to study political science?

Lake Oswego’s median household income of $140,441 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake Oswego while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Oregon 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 Lake Oswego

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

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 Oregon (2026)