BA Political Science at GWU: Fees 2026 Dates & Requirements

George Washington University Bachelor of Arts in Political Science is a typically four-year, full-time, campus-based degree in Washington, DC, for qualified secondary-school graduates. Fall 2027 tuition is unpublished; 2026-27 tuition was US$72,000 (INR 68.52 Lakhs), as a prior-cycle reference.

The degree combines American politics, comparative politics and international relations with required research methods and political thought. It suits applicants who want policy analysis, evidence-based writing and direct exposure to institutions in the United States capital.

• Students choose six upper-level courses while completing both a research-methods option and a political-thought option.
• Junior-standing majors may count up to three credits of substantive political science internship work toward the major.
• The department offers combined pathways into legislative affairs, political management, political science or public administration graduate study.

Also Check: George Washington University Political Science Admission

GW Political Science Fees and Living Costs 2027

Fall 2027 tuition is unpublished after checks of the programme, tuition, cost and international application pages. Verify the target rate on the official fee page.

Prior-cycle planning reference: GW published the following 2026-27 first-year costs for full-time undergraduates living on campus. These figures do not establish the Fall 2027 price.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of US$1 = INR 95.1675 as of 27 October 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: GW Student Accounts and the GW 2026-27 first-year cost-of-attendance schedule.

The 2026-27 tuition covered 12 to 18 credits in each Fall or Spring semester. A heavier load attracted an extra per-credit charge, so accelerated study could increase the official estimate.

Cost of Living in Washington for Political Science Students

GW’s official 2026-27 allowance covers a nine-month academic year rather than twelve months. The monthly figures below divide each published allowance by nine for a comparable planning view.

Calculated monthly context: amounts are arithmetic conversions of GW’s official nine-month budget, not separate rent or grocery quotations.

The 2026-27 prior-cycle planning illustration adds US$72,000 (INR 68.52 Lakhs), US$420 (INR 39,970), US$350 (INR 33,309) and US$22,385 (INR 21.30 Lakhs). The sum is GW’s US$95,155 (INR 90.56 Lakhs) first-year estimate.

Housing and food are combined in GW’s allowance, so the university does not support a separate rent estimate from this figure. First-year students should budget from the combined amount until selecting housing and meals.

Check Out: Cost of Living in the USA for International Students

ROI reality: Fall 2027 tuition remains unpriced, while the verified prior-cycle first-year total was US$95,155 (INR 90.56 Lakhs). Retain a contingency until GW publishes the target amount.

GW Political Science Admission 2027

GW publishes no minimum GPA, SAT or ACT threshold for most first-year applicants. Its holistic review considers secondary-school rigor, grades, the essay, one recommendation and activities within the applicant’s educational context.

Political Science applicants need evidence of analytical reading and structured writing because the major includes methods, political thought and a proseminar. Policy research, debate or civic work can demonstrate fit without becoming an unofficial admission requirement.

Intakes and Academic Eligibility

Fall 2027 is the active first-year intake for this article. GW also lists Spring entry, but its 01 October 2026 deadline passed before the research date.

International applicant context: the table separates university admission evidence from requirements completed after enrolment.

GW does not publish an Indian percentage or ten-point CGPA conversion for this programme. The absence of a minimum makes the complete Class 9 to 12 trajectory more important than a self-converted score.

The major’s six upper-level choices must include at least one research-methods course and one political-thought course. Applicants should therefore show readiness for both evidence analysis and argument, rather than presenting politics only as an extracurricular interest.

English Language Proficiency

English Language Proficiency (ELP) evidence is required when English is not the applicant’s first language unless GW approves a listed waiver. ELP verifies readiness for reading, writing and discussion-based coursework.

GW accepts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) and Duolingo English Test. The current policy keeps revised TOEFL scores separate from the earlier scale.

Fall 2027 policy: the scores below come from GW’s current international admissions page and should not be converted between test scales.

• Book an accepted test early enough for the official score to reach GW before the selected Fall deadline.
• Use the school-English route only when all four recent secondary years meet GW’s primary-language condition.
• Submit the waiver request by the application deadline because GW reviews it only after receiving supporting documents.

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) may be recommended during the first year after GW reviews the complete application. EAP provides academic-language support, so meeting a waiver benchmark does not guarantee that GW will omit the recommendation.

Tip for Indian students: With no published minimum GPA, a coherent academic record and evidence-based writing matter more than an invented conversion. Connect school research or civic work to the major’s methods requirement.

GW Political Science Application 2027

Fall 2027 offers binding Early Decision I, binding Early Decision II and non-binding Regular Decision. The regular international deadline is 05 January 2027, with notification by late March.

Applicants submit the Common Application or Coalition Application and a nonrefundable US$80 (INR 7,613) fee. GW cannot begin review until the fee and every required component arrive.

Forward-looking deadline context: GW publishes no cutoff time or timezone for these dates. The application platform timestamp controls, so no reliable IST conversion is available.

Early Decision can signal a firm preference, but its binding commitment limits offer comparison when the Fall 2027 fee remains unpublished. Regular Decision is financially safer when an Indian family needs to compare scholarships or borrowing requirements.

GW’s live page also lists a Spring route with an October deadline, but the Spring 2027 date has passed. A future Spring cycle is not yet confirmed, so this plan stays with the open Fall intake.

Application File and Political Science Fit

A complete file combines school records, an essay, one recommendation and English evidence when required. GW does not offer evaluative interviews, so the written application carries the fit argument.

Required-file context: Indian documents must be official, and records not issued in English need certified translations.

• Request transcripts, board marks and the recommendation before submitting because portal processing can take several weeks.
• Use the essay to connect one political question with research, writing or civic action rather than listing unrelated activities.
• Choose Early Decision only when the prior-cycle cost remains financeable without an unconfirmed scholarship.
• Keep liquid-fund evidence ready because GW requires financial proof before issuing the initial I-20.

GW allows applicants two weeks after submission to change their selected school or college through the portal. A Political Science applicant should verify Columbian College before that window closes because the major sits within that school.

Use the official international application page to submit against the selected stage. It also controls any deadline or documentation update after publication.

Read More: Requirements to Study in the USA

Application tip: Regular Decision preserves funding comparison while Fall 2027 tuition is unpublished. Submit school records early, then confirm the portal marks every component complete before 05 January 2027.

GW Political Science Scholarships 2027

International first-year applicants receive automatic merit consideration, but GW publishes no fixed Fall 2027 award amount. Only the You Are Welcome Here Scholarship requires an additional scholarship application.

Recipients may hold only one GW merit scholarship, and the admission letter states any award. A first-year merit award can continue for ten consecutive semesters with full-time enrolment and satisfactory academic progress.

Current published funding context: GW’s live page names these routes, but it does not label their values or scholarship deadline with the 2027-28 cycle.

The CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Profile) supplies household financial information for two conditional routes. It supports the separate scholarship assessment rather than the general automatic merit review.

Presidential consideration requires no separate form, so application quality controls both admission and automatic merit review. However, a variable award cannot support a reduced budget until the written offer confirms its value.

The You Are Welcome Here Scholarship has the clearest high-value benefit, but its live page gives only 31 January without a year. Submit the admission application first, then verify the portal’s target-cycle scholarship date before relying on it.

Davis support is restricted to graduates of United World College schools and depends on demonstrated need. Applicants outside that network should not treat this partner award as generally available international aid.

• Keep the gross cost plan because GW has not published a Fall 2027 tuition amount or a fixed Presidential award.
• Prepare the CSS Profile only for a route that explicitly requires it, including You Are Welcome Here or Davis UWC.
• Check renewal conditions in the admission letter before multiplying any award across four academic years.

Use the official international funding page for scholarship application steps. It is the controlling source for any target-year update to the cycleless 31 January date.

Read More: USA Scholarships for Indian Students After Class 12

Scholarship reality: Automatic merit review does not produce a budgetable reduction until the admission letter states an amount. Preserve the gross plan while completing any separately required scholarship route.

GW Political Science Salary 2027

GW publishes no Political Science BA salary, offer rate or placement rate. Its department identifies recent alumni employers, while the latest measured outcomes cover the university-wide Class of 2025.

Reported Political Science alumni destinations include Bloomberg, Campaign Legal Center, Human Rights Campaign, Maryland State Government and National Public Radio. These names demonstrate individual destinations, not recurring recruitment or visa sponsorship.

Evidence scope: university outcomes cover known Class of 2025 destinations through six months after graduation, while employer names come from the current department page.

The university profile shows that further education is a substantial route alongside employment. This matters because law, policy research and specialised analyst roles may reward additional credentials, although the report does not isolate Political Science majors.

University-Level Salary Distribution

The Class of 2025 report gives salary bands for full-time employment but no Political Science median. These figures describe respondents across GW, so they are context rather than a starting-pay forecast.

Reported gross salary bands: each INR range converts the report’s United States dollar band at the article’s stated exchange rate.

Source: GW Class of 2025 first-destination profile and the current Political Science alumni outcomes page.

Reported salaries are gross, while take-home pay changes with location, deductions and individual tax treatment. Use a tax calculator for the job’s state before comparing net income with education costs.

Return on Investment for Indian Applicants

The course has a mixed academic and professional orientation, but course-specific earnings are unpublished. A numerical payback claim would therefore combine incompatible evidence with the 2026-27 prior-cycle first-year cost.

• The US$95,155 (INR 90.56 Lakhs) prior-cycle first-year estimate requires a financing buffer until GW publishes Fall 2027 tuition.
• The three-credit internship cap means extra internships do not reduce tuition-bearing coursework, so schedule work experience around the degree plan.
• The 91.5% university engagement rate cannot support a Political Science repayment estimate, so request major-level outcomes before borrowing.
• The twelve-month post-study window limits time for United States earnings, so target related roles before the final year.
• The 74% Mid-Atlantic and 2% international shares cannot price an India return, so build a separate local salary model.

For a United States career, policy research, public affairs or campaign work must also satisfy employer and immigration conditions. For an India return, the Washington network may add value, but dollar salary bands cannot be converted into Indian earning expectations.

ROI reality: The programme offers documented internship access and varied alumni destinations, but no course salary or offer rate. Make the decision from affordable net cost and role fit, not university-wide salary bands.

USA Visa for GW Political Science Students 2027

Admitted full-time students normally use F-1 student status after GW issues the Form I-20. The visa costs US$185 (INR 17,606), while the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee is US$350 (INR 33,309). SEVIS records the student’s immigration status. Optional Practical Training (OPT) provides twelve months of related work; this BA lacks the additional 24-month Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) extension.

• Plan the OPT application before programme completion because the twelve-month window must support work directly related to Political Science.
• An H-1B employer must meet the applicable actual or prevailing wage, and no single national salary threshold guarantees sponsorship.
• An F-2 spouse and unmarried children under 21 may accompany the student, but an F-2 spouse cannot work.
• F-1 study and OPT create no automatic permanent-residence route or fixed settlement timeline, so employer strategy remains separate.

Read More: F-1 Student Visa Guide for Indian Students

Visa reality: This degree provides only the standard twelve-month OPT window, not a STEM extension. Prioritise related internships and employers familiar with international hiring before the final year.

GW Political Science Ranking 2027

George Washington University ranks #9 for Political Sciences in ShanghaiRanking’s 2026 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. This is an institutional subject-research measure, not a ranking of the BA curriculum.

Ranking scope: the publisher evaluates subject-level research performance across the university and does not publish a BA-specific employment score.

The result supports GW’s research environment in Political Sciences, which fits a major requiring methods and advanced coursework. It does not establish teaching quality, internship access or a graduate salary by itself.

Use the official 2026 subject ranking to inspect the publisher’s scope. Then assess the curriculum and cost separately because the ranking cannot answer either decision.

Check Out: George Washington University Rankings

Honest take: The #9 Political Sciences result signals research strength, not a BA placement guarantee. Give it weight only alongside the methods curriculum, internship limit and affordable net cost.