Best Political Science Schools Near Richmond, VA (2026)

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

Richmond, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Richmond has a population of about 227,595. Median household income is $62,671 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Richmond, VA metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Social and Community Service Managers at a median $104,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Richmond

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

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 1.9 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Union University

Richmond, VA 2.6 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,275
Avg net price $13,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Richmond

Richmond is part of the Richmond, VA metro area (BLS area code 40060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A VA statewide –
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $92,410 Richmond, VA $94,392
Management Analysts $95,660 Richmond, VA $97,712
Public Relations Specialists $75,730 Richmond, VA $77,354
Survey Researchers $72,610 Richmond, VA $74,168
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $62,940 Richmond, VA $64,290
Compliance Officers $77,060 Richmond, VA $78,713
Social and Community Service Managers $104,070 Richmond, VA $106,302

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.

Richmond at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 227,595 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,671 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Richmond-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Richmond, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Richmond. The closest is Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA (1.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Virginia State University (20.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Richmond are: Social and Community Service Managers ($104,070), Management Analysts ($95,660), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($92,410). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hopewell instead of Richmond?

Hopewell, VA is 19.1 miles from Richmond 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 Richmond an affordable place to study political science?

Richmond’s median household income of $62,671 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richmond while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Richmond

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

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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