The study of politics as a social science has a long and rich history, with many great academic institutions offering courses and research in the discipline. Along with International Relations, the ongoing relevance of Political Science is reflected in the high quality of programs of study and research. Many of the best-known politics departments are located in institutions within the United States, but outstanding departments can also be found in other countries including Australia, Singapore, China, and Japan.

In our previous article we compiled a list of the best Political Science & International Relations Departments in Europe. Here we're sharing up-to-date rankings for the best departments in Political Science and International Relations worldwide. 

1. Department of Government, Harvard University, United States
2. Department of Politics, Princeton University, United States
3. Department of Political Science, Yale University, United States
4. Department of Political Science, Stanford University, United States
5. Department of Political Science, Columbia University, United States
6. Department of Political Science,University of California, Berkeley, United States
7. School of Politics & International Relations, Australian National University, Australia
8. Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
9. Department of Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo, Japan
10. Department of Political Science, University of Chicago, United States
11. Department of Politics, New York University , United States
12. Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
13. Department of Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
14. Department of Political Science, University of California, San Diego, United States
15. Department of Political Science, Michigan State University, United States
16. Political Science Department, Johns Hopkins University, United States
17. Department of Government, Cornell University, United States
18. School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, China
19. Department of Political Science, Peking University, China
20. School of Government, Kyoto University, Japan

Compiled from the QS World University Rankings, Shanghai Rankings, and Hix, S. (2004). A global ranking of political science departments. Political Studies Review, 2(3), 293–313.