With expensive study destinations like the US and the UK dominating the rankings, it can be difficult to find funding. Luckily, we’ve compiled a range of scholarships to study at the 10 top political schools, which are revealed in reverse order below.
Please note that this page is updated yearly, and because the sponsors or institutions that open these scholarships may often change the period in which they accept applications, we may not keep up with these updates due to the volume of scholarships we publish here. Therefore, this page is basically intended to show you the endless opportunities you have to get a scholarship to study anywhere in the world. Simply click on the link to the scholarship you want to check the deadline for on the official website. Or click here to access our list of current scholarships.Â
10. Australian National University (ANU)
The annual international fees for the Bachelor of Political Science degree at the Australian National University (ANU) are currently AU$ 41,280 (US$ 29,200). For domestic students, the course is a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), meaning that the government pays part of your fees and you will only need to pay the student contribution amount.
While ANU doesn’t currently offer any scholarships specific to politics, it does offer a selection of scholarships, including those specific to studying at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences (where politics is taught). Notable scholarships include the Academic Excellence Masters Scholarship, aimed at international students from China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Indonesia. You could also check our general list of scholarships to study in Australia.
9. Yale University
Yale’s undergraduate tuition fees for the 2019–20 school year are US$55,500, and the school estimates that the total cost of studying for a year, including room and board and other costs, will be a whopping $75,925. The university’s MA in International Relations and Global Affairs, offered at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, had fees of $42,100 in 2018–19.
Fortunately, Yale is one of the five US universities to offer need-blind admission to all students, both domestic and international, meaning it won’t consider your ability to pay when deciding whether or not to offer you a place and meets 100 percent of students’ demonstrated financial need, with an average of $52,800 awarded in 2018–19. Read more about financial aid at Yale here.
You can view a list of general scholarships to study in the USÂ here.
8. the University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
As of the 2019–20 academic year, undergraduate fees at UC Berkeley are $14,184 for California residents and $43,176 for out-of-state students, including international students. At the graduate level, fees are $14,132 for California students and $30,544 for all other students.
Scholarships on offer from the university’s Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science include the Travers Undergraduate Scholarship in Ethics and Politics, a merit-based scholarship awarding a stipend of $12,000 per year, aimed at all students planning to serve their country or community in a government capacity in the future. There are also numerous general scholarships and graduate fellowships available to study at UC Berkeley.
7. Princeton University
Princeton’s undergraduate tuition fees are currently $51,870, and the total cost of going to school for a year is estimated to be $73,450.
Like Yale, Princeton doesn’t care how much money a student’s family makes. This means that any student, no matter where they come from, can go there. Students with a family income of $65,000 or less receive full financial aid, including tuition, room, and board.
Those interested in pursuing predoctoral research might be interested in applying for the Emerging Scholars in Political Science (ESPS) program, which aims to increase the participation of students from underrepresented groups in political science Ph.D. programs.
6. Stanford University
The university’s Department of Political Science pursues research in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political methodology, and political theory.
At the moment, tuition costs $52,857 for all undergraduates and $52,479 for graduate students in politics. The university has a limited amount of financial aid available to international students, so if you think you’ll need aid at any point during your studies, you must state this within your application. As well as using financial aid, many students fund their studies with a loan or part-time job.
5. University of Cambridge
Funding is available from sources such as the Cambridge Trust, which awards approximately 500 scholarships every year, and the Gates Cambridge Program, which grants awards to outstanding postgraduate applicants from outside the UK. And for Ph.D. students, the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) recently announced that five new merit-based Ph.D. studentships are available, funding a full-time, three-year doctoral degree in Politics and International Studies.
More scholarships to study in the UK can be found here.
4. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
LSE offers generous financial support in the form of bursaries and scholarships, such as the Kadas Scholarship (aimed at undergraduates from specific European countries), the ICAP Undergraduate Scholarship (which covers the full tuition fees of a student from sub-Saharan Africa), and the LSE Master’s Awards (awards ranging from £5,000 to a full award, with preference given to students from low- and middle-income families).
3. Sciences Po Paris
Tuition fees for undergraduate students in the European Economic Area (EEA) vary from €0 to €10,540 (US$11,940) depending on your household income, while non-EEA fees are €10,540 per year at the undergraduate level and €14,500 (US$16,400) for master’s programs.
To enable all students to pursue their studies at Sciences Po, the university offers substantial financial aid including the Emile-Boutmy scholarship, open to undergraduate or master’s students from outside the EEA, and the Sciences Po Europe bursary, open to all first-year EU/EEA/Swiss students.
2. University of Oxford
Oxford’s BA in History and Politics degree costs £9,250 per year for UK/EU students and £26,235 (US$34,450) for overseas students, while the university’s MPhil in Politics costs £17,745 (€20,600) for UK/EU students and £26,960 (US$35,400) for overseas students.
Oxford recently announced its intention to increase the bursaries available to students from low-income backgrounds in 2020. You can search for scholarships based on your fee status, study level, and year of entry here – many of Oxford’s scholarships will not require a separate application.
1. Harvard University
Harvard University retains its position of first in the world, receiving a perfect score for the employer reputation indicator. At Harvard, politics degrees are available as government degrees through the Department of Government, and the university also offers a Ph.D. in Political Economy & Government.
For 2018, tuition fees for all undergraduate students were $46,340, and the university estimated yearly total expenses of at least $71,650. Luckily, as with fellow Ivy League schools Yale and Stanford, Harvard is need-blind to all students, both domestic and international. So, 55 percent of college freshmen get need-based scholarships, and families with incomes of $65,000 or less don’t have to pay anything. International students are eligible for the same amount of financial aid as US students.
