Penn State is one of the world’s leading universities, and promotes research that promotes human development, global understanding, and advancement through the expansion of knowledge.  Political science faculty and students contribute to that mission through innovative research on all aspects of politics and civil society.

Our program’s excellence was recently recognized in a 2019 study ranking our faculty #5 in research impact, #12 in top publications, and #17 in citations per capita. We are also ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News and World Report for International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Methodology. Graduate student research assistantships, data collection, and fieldwork are supported by a large number of grants from the National Science Foundation, philanthropic foundations, and Penn State research centers and institutes.