Political Science Departments Rankings - What's the deal?

Hey there! I'm planning on majoring in Political Science and I'm trying to navigate these department rankings. How do they work? Do they take into account the prestige of the university or the successful alumni?

Department rankings for specific majors, like political science, can seem a bit tricky at first, but there's a method to it. Each ranking is based on a range of data points that vary by ranking source. But typically, they consider factors such as the quality of the faculty, the department's research output, the number of students studying or graduating in the department, and sometimes post-graduation outcomes like employment or acceptance to graduate programs.

In terms of faculty quality, ranking bodies often look at things like the faculty-to-student ratio, the number of faculty with Ph.D.'s or equivalent highest-level degrees, the volume of research the faculty produces, and sometimes even more subjective measures like peer review scores.

Research output usually considers both the number and the impact of research papers being published out of the department. Sometimes both are wrapped into a single “research score.”

Student metrics factor in as well, with ranking bodies considering the number of students studying the major, the resources available to those students, and the number of degrees awarded in that major.

Finally, some rankings also consider post-graduation outcomes. This is a bit tricky because it's hard to separate the name-brand effect of the overall institution from the quality of the department itself. Still, these metrics can include acceptance to graduate programs, employment rates, and average starting salaries.

Alumni success is usually not a factor directly considered in these rankings, if only because it's so difficult to measure systematically. But you can certainly use successful alumni as a more anecdotal measure of a program's quality – if the department has produced a number of successful alumni who have gone on to do things that align with your career goals, that could be a good sign for you.

Remember, though, rankings should only be one tool you use to evaluate a program. Make sure to consider other factors like fit with the department culture, the courses on offer, opportunities for internships or research, and so forth.