I am trying to see if USC has a great political science program, maybe similar to or on par to those of Berkeley, Michigan, or NYU. I’ve tried to find if it compares and it is often not on any top lists. I live in California, so it would help out for me since I do prefer to stay in-state, but won’t limit myself to schools inside the state.
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Undergraduate political science programs (or most majors) aren’t ranked, because undergraduates don’t go to college for a “program.” You are going to get a bachelor’s degree. Only about 1/3 of your classes will be taken in your major; you will take just as many general education requirements as you will major classes. Furthermore, there are so many other things that shape your college experience - your classmates, the extracurricular activities offered, resources, libraries, location. Most good universities are going to have good solid departments in most of the core liberal arts & sciences majors.
USC’s doctoral program in political science is mid-ranked PhD program. It is certainly not on par with the doctoral programs at Michigan, NYU, or Berkeley - all of which are top 15 PhD programs in this field.
However, keep in mind that these are rankings of doctoral programs, which often take into account considerations that don’t matter for undergrads - and leave out many things that DO matter a lot for undergrads. I wouldn’t say that Michigan or NYU or Berkeley would necessarily be a better choice for an aspiring undergraduate political science major than USC.
Okay. could I then get a breakdown of how USC is? I heard rumors that it was “The University of Spoiled Children” but I want another opinion on it.