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Political analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a political analyst. Political analysts usually study political science, international relations, or history. 57% of political analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 267 real political analyst resumes to see exactly what political analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for political analysts are the American University and the American University.
There are also many online political analyst courses to help get the education required to be a political analyst.
What education do you need to become a political analyst?
What degree do you need to be a political analyst?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 26%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a political analyst?
- Political Science, 37%
- History, 5%
- Law, 4%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for political analysts
| Political analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| American University | 15.38% |
| University of Chicago | 9.62% |
| University of South Florida | 5.77% |
| University of North Texas | 5.77% |
| Michigan State University | 5.77% |
Best majors for political analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 36.9% |
| 2 | International Relations | 11.7% |
| 3 | History | 5.0% |
| 4 | Law | 4.5% |
| 5 | Public Administration | 3.9% |
Best colleges for political analysts
The best colleges for political analysts are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.
A political analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for political analysts. 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 political analysts.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for political analysts
Advertising disclosure
1. Chinese Politics Part 1 – China and Political Science
This course offers a conceptual framework for understanding China that highlights the intersection of politics and economics. It shows that rather than develop into a full blown market economy, state and party officials at all levels of the political system maintain significant influence in economic development. Such a “political” economy has had both positive and negative outcomes, which we will assess in detail. We also look at the origins, views, backgrounds and relations among leaders, and...
2. Understanding Korean Politics
This course will select six most outstanding issues in contemporary Korean politics and will engage in an in-depth, interactive inquiry of those issue. They include Korean politics in history, institutional setting of Korean politics, and dynamics of political culture in Korea, profiles of political leadership, myth and reality of the developmental state and the Korean economic miracle, and debates on Korean unification. The course will expose students to contending theories and empirical...
3. International Politics Mastery: Levels of Analysis
Learn '3 Levels of Analysis' to speak confidently about international problems even without prior university education...
4. Navigating Office Politics: Get What You Want at Work
Learn how to gain influence and get more done in your organization by understanding and navigating office politics...
5. American Politics, Foreign Policy, and US-India Ties
This specialization is intended for people interested in politics and international affairs. You will learn about the United States and how its history, culture, politics, and foreign policy leave a significant impact on the world. You will also gain insights into US-India relations - which is the most important bilateral relationship among democracies of the world...
6. Comparative Political Systems
Comparative politics covers a wide variety of topics and themes. The course starts with the definition of the comparative method giving special emphasis to concept formation and historical and institutional approaches. The bulk of the course is devoted to the theory of coalitions and the processes of government formation, functioning, termination. Through several in-depth analyses, the course will throw light on the way democratic regimes are governed. Electoral rules will receive special...
7. Master Polite English
Learn the 3 Golden Rules and 6 Principles of Polite Speaking in English...
8. Master Public Policy Analysis In Six Easy Steps: The Basics
An Introduction to Policy Analysis Concepts and Practice For The Real World!...
9. The Politics of Skepticism
This is a course about the history of Skepticism from the ancient Greeks to today, with special attention to the political ramifications of questioning man's ability to know the world and himself with any certainty. We will discuss the debates raging between Plato and the Sophists, the rise of Christianity in the Roman world, and the so-called 'Skeptical Crisis' of the Renaissance as well as Pierre Bayle's Skepticism and David Hume's. In addition the Natural Law tradition will be explored and...
10. Politics and Ethics of Data Analytics in the Public Sector
Deepen your understanding of the power and politics of data in the public sector, including how values — in addition to data and evidence — are always part of public sector decision-making. In this course, you will explore common ethical challenges associated with data, data analytics, and randomized controlled trials in the public sector. You will also navigate and understand the ethical issues related to data systems and data analysis by understanding frameworks, codes of ethics, and...
11. Master Public Policy Analysis: Advanced
Learn Advanced Policy Analysis Concepts and Practice For The Real World!...
12. 2017 Great Decisions: Foreign Policy Association
Learn about leading foreign policy challenges confronting U.S. policy makers and the American public...
13. Power and Foreign Policy in International Relations
Welcome to the Power and Foreign Policy in International Relations course! This course acquaints you with how power matters in the conduct of international relations and how it affects the strategies and tactics of a nation-state in dealing with other nation-states. It demonstrates the link between a country’s ranking in the international system and the means and methods it adopts to deal with the rest of the world. The course begins with introducing a few concepts about what constitutes power...
14. Digital Governance
Big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous cars, chatbots, just a few terms that have become a part of our professional legal and political vocabulary. Emerging technologies and technological advancement have confronted us in our daily practice and will continue to do so in the future. Whether we’re buying something online, taking part in an election, or chatting with friends across the globe. Technology is here and it is here to stay. However, as convenience as these new...
15. The Constitution and American Government
History, Government, and Civics in the United States...
16. Data Analysis Real world use-cases- Hands on Python
Build a Portfolio of 5 Data Analysis Projects with Python, Seaborn,Pandas,Plotly, numpy etc & get a job of Data Analyst...
17. Survey Data Collection and Analytics
This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...
18. Justice and Equity in Technology Policy
More than ever, technology is shaping, and being shaped by, public policy. This has an enormous impact, particularly for marginalized communities. The artificial intelligence and computer algorithms increasingly driving government and industry decisions—from the allocation of social services to hiring—are reflecting and reinforcing social biases towards women, people of color, and disabled people, among others. Global climate change is having a disproportionately negative impact on low- and...
19. PEST Analysis with Service Blueprints in Miro
By the end of this project, you will be able to conduct a PEST analysis that considers all components of service to gain intelligence on how internal and external factors impact an organization’s performance. To conduct a PEST Analysis with Service Blueprints in Miro, you will gain hands-on experience examining political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological influences upon performance in the Miro online visual collaboration platform for teamwork. Note: This course works best for...
20. The Art and Science of Economic Policy
Economic policy affects every citizen. And economic policymaking is best done as a collaborative process with a wide range of stakeholders. This course brings an understanding of the relevance and impacts of economic policymaking in everyday life, and the ways for citizens to be involved in shaping economic policy, in an accessible and interesting manner. Taught by Dr. Vijay Kelkar and Dr. Ajay Shah, along with Aromar Revi, Director, IIHS, the course synthesises more than one hundred years of...
Top 10 most affordable universities for political analysts
The most affordable schools for political analysts are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for political analysts 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 political analysts.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for political analysts
The hardest universities for political analysts to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for political analysts 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 political analysts 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,446
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for political analysts
The easiest schools for political analysts to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, thomas more university, and sonoma state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a political analyst 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 political analysts.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
3. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. Albertus Magnus College
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
931
Average political analyst salary by education level
| Political analyst education level | Political analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $102,749 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $94,271 |
| Doctorate Degree | $105,299 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025