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Government relations internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a government relations internship. Government relations interns usually study political science, business, or communication. 80% of government relations interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,061 real government relations internship resumes to see exactly what government relations internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for government relations interns are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online government relations internship courses to help get the education required to be a government relations internship.

What education do you need to become a government relations internship?

What degree do you need to be a government relations internship?

The most common degree for government relations interns is bachelor's degree, with 80% of government relations interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a government relations internship?

You should major in political science to become a government relations internship. 21% of government relations interns major in political science. Other common majors for a government relations internship include business and communication.

Most common colleges for government relations interns

Government relations interns often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, George Washington University, The, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for government relations interns in the US based on their resumes.
Government relations internship common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University10.15%
George Washington University, The7.86%
American University7.04%
University of Maryland - College Park5.89%
Michigan State University5.56%

Best majors for government relations interns

RankMajorPercentages
1Political Science21.4%
2Business13.9%
3Communication10.1%
4Psychology5.1%
5Public Relations5.0%

Best colleges for government relations interns

The best colleges for government relations interns are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A government relations internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for government relations interns. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become government relations interns.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for government relations interns

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Top 10 most affordable universities for government relations interns

The most affordable schools for government relations interns are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for government relations interns are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for government relations interns.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for government relations interns

The hardest universities for government relations interns to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for government relations interns are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for government relations interns based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for government relations interns

The easiest schools for government relations interns to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a government relations internship without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for government relations interns.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average government relations internship salary by education level

According to our data, government relations interns with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $37,534 annually. Government relations interns with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $35,028.
Government relations internship education levelGovernment relations internship salary
Master's Degree$37,534
Bachelor's Degree$35,028

Government relations internship education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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