<p>I have my mind set on double majoring in economics and political science and later getting a master's degree International Affairs. What colleges do you think are collectively the best in these two fields? I've been considering U Chicago for a while.</p>
<p>As you must know by now, Chicago is very expensive (at full sticker) and very selective. Have you run the online Net Price Calculator and talked to your family about the costs? Are your stats in line with Chicago’s averages (top 10% of your HS class, 2100 or better SATs, challenging courses, strong ECs)?</p>
<p>There are no reliable rankings for undergraduate departments. When a college has a very strong reputation in some field, usually that is due to the work of prominent scholars (who may not even teach undergrads). So you’re probably better off focusing on overall academic quality, undergraduate focus, personal fit, and affordability.</p>
<p>If you need aid but your family can cover the Expected Family Contribution, look at other “full need” schools.
<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/09/18/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need-2014”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/09/18/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need-2014</a>
Most of these ~60 colleges would have good economics and political science programs. Pick a few that meet your personal preferences for size, location, and atmosphere.</p>
<p>If cost does not matter at all, most of those same colleges would be good for those majors.<br>
If you need aid but your family cannot cover its EFC, then you’ll need to look for schools with lower sticker prices or good merit aid for your stats.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is the Chicago is known to be heavily aligned with conservative economics (supply-side).</p>
<p>I’m not sure which state you are in, but several Big Ten schools are top-20 in both Econ and Poli Sci… including at least Northwestern, Michigan and Wisconsin.</p>
<p>And because neither of these is a pre-professional major, that brings the high-quality LACs into play.</p>
<p>Among the LACs, Claremont McKenna is known for its excellence in economics and political science (it’s called “government” there). <a href=“http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/academic/programs.php”>http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/academic/programs.php</a></p>
<p>You can find an adequate undergraduate education in poli.sci./govt./econ. at almost all four-year colleges. If money is of any concern whatsoever, and you are contemplating graduate school down the road, you will need to consider the costs of attending. Even with terrific stats (ie. test scores and GPA), you cannot count on acceptance to one of the most selective colleges, so other factors should come into play. Be sure that ancillary options are strong, such as foreign languages, overseas programs, internships,etc. I was admitted into Int’l Relations graduate schools with a Russian Language & Literature major, not an Economics or Poli. Sci. background. If you are looking at a career with the State Department or CIA (sssshhhhhh), they are likely to value language mastery and aptitude more than undergraduate survey courses. The most celebrated departments, furthermore, are often those with superstar professors who teach very few classes for undergraduates. Georgetown has the best-known undergraduate Foreign Service school, but George Washington and American are also excellent. Somebody already mentioned CMC, and you mentioned Chicago. Tufts, Johns Hopkins, and Penn are all first-rate. Do you have a regional interest? University of Miami, unsurprisingly, is strong for Latin-American and Caribbean affairs. Occidental is surprisingly strong. They have a full-credit semester program at the UN, and another unique “campaign semester” option. If legislative politics are interesting, you can look beyond Washington to some state capitals, where a lot of the action is: Willamette, University of Denver, Emory, Northeastern, Florida State, University of Texas, et al, are located in very important state capitals. </p>