Best Political Science Schools Near Lewistown, PA (2026)

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

Lewistown, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $20,644 to $82,902 per year for indexed programs. Lewistown has a population of about 8,505. Median household income is $40,179 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Scientists at a median $140,020 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Lewistown

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

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 20.5 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $32,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 214

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 20.5 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $19,550/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Juniata College

Huntingdon, PA 24.2 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,918
Avg net price $23,988/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA 33.6 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
72.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,204
Avg net price $37,607/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,650
Out‑of‑state$65,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 37.3 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,351
Avg net price $23,726/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, PA 39.1 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,723
Avg net price $28,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 43.3 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,064
Avg net price $26,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA 43.8 miles from Lewistown
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
67.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $93,807
Avg net price $40,766/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,812
Out‑of‑state$67,812
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Lewistown

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Pennsylvania, statewide)
Political Scientists $140,020
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $97,230
Management Analysts $93,830
Public Relations Specialists $57,460
Survey Researchers $63,310
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $63,370
Compliance Officers $85,580
Social and Community Service Managers $75,280

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.

Lewistown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 8,505 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $40,179 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 11.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Lewistown-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Lewistown, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Lewistown. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus in University Park, PA (20.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (37.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles in Pennsylvania?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles in Pennsylvania are: Political Scientists ($140,020), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($97,230), Management Analysts ($93,830). Wages for Lewistown workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in State College instead of Lewistown?

State College, PA is 20.0 miles from Lewistown 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 Lewistown an affordable place to study political science?

Lewistown’s median household income of $40,179 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lewistown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Lewistown

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

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 Pennsylvania (2026)