Best Political Science Schools Near Pasadena, TX (2026)

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

Pasadena, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $34,634 to $45,672 per year for indexed programs. Pasadena has a population of about 149,345. Median household income is $64,270 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Scientists at a median $114,050 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Pasadena

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

University of Houston

Houston, TX 12.4 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,377
Avg net price $14,276/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 150

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Texas Southern University

Houston, TX 13.4 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,924
Avg net price $16,590/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Houston-Downtown

Houston, TX 14.6 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,551
Avg net price $10,542/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Houston Community College

Houston, TX 14.8 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,254
Avg net price $5,737/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of St Thomas

Houston, TX 15.6 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
63.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,224
Avg net price $19,359/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,634
Out‑of‑state$34,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Rice University

Houston, TX 15.7 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 8%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,718
Avg net price $13,370/yr
Tuition
In‑state$64,144
Out‑of‑state$64,144
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Houston Christian University

Houston, TX 22.1 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,933
Avg net price $20,629/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX 41.8 miles from Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,466
Avg net price $11,252/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Pasadena

Pasadena is part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area (BLS area code 26420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $114,050 TX statewide $115,669
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $102,960 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $104,422
Management Analysts $101,120 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $102,556
Public Relations Specialists $68,320 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $69,290
Survey Researchers $48,810 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $49,503
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $62,730 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $63,621
Compliance Officers $78,860 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $79,980
Social and Community Service Managers $76,780 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $77,870

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.

Pasadena at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 149,345 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,270 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Pasadena-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Pasadena, TX?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Pasadena. The closest is University of Houston in Houston, TX (12.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of St Thomas (15.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Pasadena are: Political Scientists ($114,050), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($102,960), Management Analysts ($101,120). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Deer Park instead of Pasadena?

Deer Park, TX is 3.0 miles from Pasadena 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 Pasadena an affordable place to study political science?

Pasadena’s median household income of $64,270 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pasadena while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Pasadena

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

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 Texas (2026)