Political Science
First Destinations
First Destinations
This graph illustrates the first destinations of recent alumni from the last four graduating classes. Details for each of these categories can be found below.
- 57% Employment
- 26% Graduate School
- 4% Post-Graduate Service
- 4% Fellowships
- 2% Continuing Education
- 7% Other
Top Locations
Top Locations
These are among the top locations of graduates in this major. Whether working, studying, or volunteering, you'll find Grinnellians all over the world.
- Chicago, IL
- Iowa City, IA
- New York, NY
- Washington, DC
Employment
Employment
There is no typical path of a Grinnell graduate. As this list illustrates, Grinnellians work across all types of industries working with a rich array of employers.
Employer | Position |
---|---|
Altshuler Berzon | litigation assistant |
Colorado Fiscal Institute | state tax & budget policy analyst |
Deloitte | business analyst, government & public services |
Illinois Housing Development Authority | intern |
Latino Academy of Workforce Development | ESL coordinator & grant manager |
New York City Council | community liaison |
United Health Group | senior quantitative research analyst |
Wisconsin Farmers Union | policy coordinator |
World Bank Group | junior analyst |
Political Science
Employment Data
Employer | Position | Location |
---|---|---|
AcademyHealth | research assistant | Washington, DC |
Altshuler Berzon | litigation assistant | San Francisco, CA |
Analysis Group | analyst | Chicago, IL |
Arlekin Players Theatre | marketing intern | Needham, MA |
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholar LLP | legal resource assistant | Washington, DC |
Asian Human Services | career service navigator | Chicago, IL |
Axiom | business development representative | Chicago, IL |
Ballast Research | research associate | Washington, DC |
Bank of America Merrill Lynch | equity research analyst | Tokyo, Japan |
Banner Engineering | associate Oracle developer/analyst | Plymouth, MN |
Benach Collopy LLP | immigration paralegal | Washington, DC |
BlueDot Wellness | business developer | Los Angeles, CA |
The Buffalo Bulletin | news reporter | Buffalo, WY |
Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve | plant ecology intern | East Bethel, MN |
Certified Laboratories, Inc. | microbiology laboratory associate | Aurora, IL |
Chanhassen High School | assistant speed coach | Chanhassen, MN |
Colorado Fiscal Institute | state tax & budget policy analyst | Denver, CO |
Corus International | communications intern | Washington, DC |
Dell Technologies | product management analyst | Austin, TX |
Deloitte | business analyst, government & public services | Washington, DC |
Deloitte | solutions engineering analyst | Arlington, VA |
Dine Brands Global | litigation paralegal | Glendale, CA |
DIS | academic assistant | Copenhagen, Denmark |
Ellis Legal, PC | legal assistant | Chicago, IL |
Emporia State University | admissions counselor | Emporia, KS |
Epic | quality manager | Verona, WI |
Ewing Marion Kauffman School | teacher | Kansas City, MO |
Foley Hoag LLP | IP litigation case assistant | Boston, MA |
The Foote School | associate teacher | New Haven, CT |
GMHC | institutional development associate | New York, NY |
Great River School | lower elementary assistant | St. Paul, MN |
Grinnell College | Liberal Arts in Prison Program postbaccalaureate fellow | Grinnell, IA |
HIS Academy | teacher | Busan, Republic of Korea |
The Horton Group | client services representative | Chicago, IL |
Illinois Housing Development Authority | intern | Chicago, IL |
IMPACT | project fellow | remote |
Iowa Homeless Youth Center | street outreach advocate | Des Moines, IA |
Jarvis Law Office | administrative assistant | Dublin, OH |
Kansas City International Academy | math teacher | Kansas City, MO |
Kean University | professional services specialist | Union, NJ |
Kempster, Corcoran, Quiceno & Lenz-Calvo, Ltd. | legal assistant | Chicago, IL |
King County | legal assistant | Seattle, WA |
Langer Research Associates | research assistant | Washington, DC |
Latino Academy of Workforce Development | ESL coordinator & grant manager | Madison, WI |
Law Office of Michael McVicker | legal assistant | Reston, VA |
Learning Policy Institute | research & policy intern | Washington, DC |
Mariposa DR Foundation | executive & programs assistant | Cabarete, Dominican Republic |
Minkowitz Pathology | insurance billing assistant | New York, NY |
Morningstar | analyst | Chicago, IL |
New York City Council | community liaison | New York, NY |
North American Language & Culture Assistants Program | language assistant | Madrid, Spain |
Partner Forces | junior analyst | Arlington, VA |
PrimeClerk | consultant | New York, NY |
Rustic Ridge Equestrian Center | stablehand | Stevens Point, WI |
Springer Nature Group | publishing assistant | New York, NY |
Startup Circus | brand manager | remote |
Sunnyside Gardens | gardener | Minneapolis, MN |
SwimSwam | content creator | remote |
T-Mobile | insights manager | Seattle, WA |
Tom's Donuts | salesperson | Angola, IN |
U.S. Department of Justice | antitrust paralegal specialist | Washington, DC |
United Health Group | senior quantitative research analyst | Los Angeles, CA |
University of Missouri College of Engineering | senior communications coordinator | Columbia, MO |
U.S. House of Representatives | political intern for Congressman Tom Emmer | Washington, DC |
Washington University in St. Louis | music library associate | St. Louis, MO |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield | full-stack software engineer | Des Moines, IA |
Willenson Law, LLC | litigation paralegal | Chicago, IL |
Wilson Law Group | legal assistant | Minneapolis, MN |
Wisconsin Farmers Union | policy coordinator | Madison, WI |
World Bank Group | junior analyst | Washington, DC |
Wyrd Armouries | manager/assistant | Eden, NC |
Yale School of Management | research assistant | New Haven, MN |
Positions Related to Career Goals
Positions Related to Career Goals
This graph illustrates the extent to which our graduates' first job is aligned with their career goals. It's one thing to find a job; it's an entirely different thing to land the job you want!
- 33% Completely
- 44% Moderately
- 19% Slightly
- 4% Not at All
Graduate Schools
Graduate Schools
Grinnell graduates are particularly well prepared for graduate study. You'll find Grinnellians attend the best graduate and professional school programs around the world.
Institution | Degree | Field of Study |
---|---|---|
Georgia Institute of Technology | MSc | city & regional planning |
Loyola University Chicago | JD/MPP | law & public policy |
University of California | JD | law |
University of Chicago | MA | international relations |
University of Michigan | MPP | public policy |
Washington University in St. Louis | MPH | health |
Political Science
Graduate Schools Data
Institution | Degree | Field of Study | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Boston College | MEd | secondary education & teaching | Boston, MA |
Boston University | JD | law | Boston, MA |
Brown University | MPH | epidemiology | Providence, RI |
Case Western Reserve University | JD | law | Cleveland, OH |
Georgia Institute of Technology | MSc | city & regional planning | Atlanta, GA |
Global Campus of Human Rights | MA | human rights & democratization | Venice, Italy |
Indiana University | JD | law | Bloomington, IN |
Loyola University Chicago | JD/MPP | law & public policy | Chicago, IL |
Northeastern University | MS/MBA | accounting & business management | Boston, MA |
Queens University Belfast | MA | conflict transformation & social justice | Belfast, UK |
Stanford University | JD | law | Stanford, CA |
Syracuse University | MA | advertising | Syracuse, NC |
Trinity College Dublin | MSc | environmental science | Dublin, Ireland |
University of California | JD | law | Berkeley, CA |
University of California | JD | law | Davis, CA |
University of California | MEng | environmental health engineering | Berkeley, CA |
University of Chicago | MA | international relations | Chicago, IL |
University of Chicago | MA | religion | Chicago, IL |
University of Illinois | JD | law | Chicago, IL |
University of Illinois | MLIS | library & archives | Urbana-Champaign, IL |
University of Illinois | MS | accounting & data analytics | Champaign, IL |
University of Iowa | JD | law | Iowa City, IA |
University of Iowa | MLIS | library & information science | Iowa City, IA |
University of Iowa | PhD | philosophy | Iowa City, IA |
University of Michigan | MPP | public policy | Ann Arbor, MI |
University of Missouri | graduate certificate | agroforestry | remote |
University of Missouri | JD | law | Columbia, MO |
University of Nebraska | JD | law | Lincoln, NE |
University of Nevada | JD | law | Las Vegas, NV |
University of Oxford | MSc | sociology | Oxford, UK |
University of St. Thomas | JD | law | Minneapolis, MN |
University of Washington | MA | Russian, Eastern European, & Central Asian studies | Seattle, WA |
University of Wisconsin | JD | law | Madison, WI |
Washington University in St. Louis | MPH | health | St. Louis, MO |
Graduate School Acceptance Info
Of those who applied to and were accepted to at least one program, this chart illustrates the percentage of admitted students who were accepted to either their first or second choice program and institution.
90%
90% of students are accepted to their first or second choice graduate institution and program
Service
Service
Each year, Grinnellians advance causes and serve communities around the world as full-time volunteers.
Organization
- Iowa Legal Aid
- Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
- Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
Political Science
Service Data
Organization | Location |
---|---|
AmeriCorps | Brecksville, OH |
Iowa Legal Aid | Des Moines, IA |
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity | Iowa City, IA |
Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center | El Paso, TX |
People Inc. | Buffalo, NY |
Fellowships
Fellowships
Grinnell has a rich history of producing recipients of some of the most prestigious post-graduate fellowships and awards.
Organization
- Critical Language Scholarship
- Fern Holland International Affairs Fellowship
- Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship
Political Science
Fellowships Data
Organization | Location |
---|---|
Critical Language Scholarship | Baku, Azerbaijan |
Fern Holland International Affairs Fellowship | Washington, DC |
Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship | Sacramento, CA |
South Arts | Paint Lick, KY |
The Fulbright Program | San Andrés, Colombia |
Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning
Participation in high-impact experiences is a hallmark of a Grinnell education. The following graphs illustrate the percentage of graduates who completed internships, research experiences (both on- and off-campus), service, and/or off-campus study prior to graduating from Grinnell.
Internships
79%
Political Science
Internships Data
Organization | Field | Location |
---|---|---|
Abby Finkenauer for Congress | government/public policy | Dubuque, IA |
ACLU of Texas | government/public policy | remote |
ACLU of Texas | law/legal services | remote |
Alaska Innocence Project | law/legal services | Anchorage, AK |
AmeriCorps | education | Grinnell, IA |
Arab Center for Research | research/science | Rabat, Morocco |
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Australian Tax & Transfer Policy Institute | government/public policy | remote |
Baltimore Community Museum | creative/performing arts | Baltimore, OH |
Bank of Georgia | consulting | Tbilisi, Georgia |
Becoming Machinic Inc. | computing/technology | remote |
Behringer-Crawford Museum | creative/performing arts | Covington, KY |
Benach Collopy LLP | law/legal services | Washington, DC |
Bhutan Foundation | environment/sustainability | Washington, DC |
Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington | education | Bloomington, IN |
Breakthrough Collaborative | education | Boston, MA |
Breakthrough Greater Boston | education | Boston, MA |
Breakthrough Houston | education | Houston, TX |
Build A Movement | consulting | Washington, DC |
C.J Ford Private Investigations | communications/media | Anaheim, CA |
Camp Seneca Lake | education | Penn Yan, NY |
Center for Advancing the American Dream | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Center for Constitutional Rights | law/legal services | New York, NY |
Cerath | government/public policy | Accra, Ghana |
Chicago Council on Global Affairs | government/public policy | remote |
Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose | consulting | New York, NY |
Children's Theatre Company | creative/performing arts | Minneapolis, MN |
Chipper Cash | computing/technology | San Francisco, CA |
Cincinnati Art Museum | creative/performing arts | Cincinnati, OH |
City Council | government/public policy | Los Angeles, CA |
City Insight Consultancy | consulting | Durban, South Africa |
City of Champaign Legal Department | law/legal services | Champaign, IL |
City of Chicago Department of Buildings | law/legal services | Chicago, IL |
City of Grinnell | government/public policy | Grinnell, IA |
City Year | education | San Jose, CA |
The Coca-Cola Company | business administration/management | Tokyo, Japan |
Community Restorative Justice Ireland | social services | Belfast, UK |
Compulse | sales/marketing | Los Angeles, CA |
Conard Environmental Research Area | environment/sustainability | Kellogg, IA |
Congressman Jim Himes | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney Generals Office | law/legal services | Des Moines, IA |
Cory Booker 2020 | government/public policy | Newark, NJ |
Council on Foreign Relations | government/public policy | remote |
Cow Tipping Press | education | Minneapolis, MN |
Cre8Lab | communications/media | remote |
Cuidas | education | São Paulo, Brazil |
Dash Arts | creative/performing arts | London, UK |
Dawatek | research/science | Chicago, IL |
Democratic Party of Georgia | government/public policy | Augusta, GA |
DOROT | social services | New York, NY |
Drake Community Library | communications/media | Grinnell, IA |
Dysautonomia International | social services | Washington, DC |
E.A. Sween Co. | sales/marketing | Eden Prairie, MN |
Elizabeth Warren for President | government/public policy | Grinnell, IA |
Ellis Legal, PC | law/legal services | Chicago, IL |
Environmental Law & Policy Center | environment/sustainability | Des Moines, IA |
Environmental Law Institute | research/science | Washington, DC |
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | law/legal services | Chicago, IL |
Flag Media Analytics | communications/media | remote |
Foundation for Post Conflict Development | government/public policy | New York, NY |
FTI Consulting | consulting | New York, NY |
Fundação Estudar | business administration/management | São Paulo, Brazil |
Georgia Innocence Project | law/legal services | Atlanta, GA |
Global Nomads Group | communications/media | remote |
GLOW Foundation Global | communications/media | remote |
Green Iowa AmeriCorps | environment/sustainability | Des Moines, IA |
Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce | business administration/management | Grinnell, IA |
Grinnell College | research/science | Grinnell, IA |
Grinnell Historical Museum | education | Grinnell, IA |
Grinnell Office of Admissions | education | Grinnell, IA |
Grinnell Prize | education | Grinnell, IA |
Hanes Geo Components | business administration/management | Winston-Salem, NC |
Harris County Office of Justice & Safety | government/public policy | Houston, TX |
Healthwatch Hackney | healthcare | London, UK |
Holman Fanwick Willan | law/legal services | Shanghai, China |
HopeWorks Camden | education | Camden, NJ |
House of Commons | government/public policy | London, UK |
Hubbell Realty | sales/marketing | Des Moines, IA |
The Human Rights Campaign | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Human Rights Watch | government/public policy | Moscow, Russia |
IES | government/public policy | Capetown, South Africa |
Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown | social services | Marshalltown, IA |
Immigrant Legal Services | law/legal services | Salt Lake City, UT |
ING | finance | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Interlochen Performance Center for the Arts | creative/performing arts | Interlochen, MI |
International Solar Energy Society | environment/sustainability | Freiburg, Germany |
Iowa Center for Economic Success | finance | Des Moines, IA |
Iowa Center for Economic Success | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
Iowa Democratic Party | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
Iowa Democratic Party | government/public policy | Grinnell, IA |
Iowa Department for the Blind | education | Des Moines, IA |
Iowa International Center | social services | Des Moines, IA |
Iowa Legal Aid | law/legal services | Des Moines, IA |
Iowa Senate Democrats | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
Japan Association for Refugees | social services | Tokyo, Japan |
Joe Vogel for Delegate | government/public policy | Annapolis, MD |
John Delaney for President | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
Jordan Health Aid Society | social services | Amman, Jordan |
Julian Castro 2020 | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
Just New Law | law/legal services | Des Moines, IA |
Justice Party of Korea | government/public policy | Seoul, Republic of Korea |
Kaarvan Crafts Foundation | research/science | Lahore, Pakistan |
Kankakee County Public Defense Office | law/legal services | Kanakee, IL |
Kiira Motors Cooperation | computing/technology | Kampala, Uganda |
Korean IOC | government/public policy | PyeongChang, Republic of Korea |
Law Office of Jillian N. Kong-Sivert | law/legal services | Phoenix, AZ |
Law Offices of Dayna Kelly, PLLC | law/legal services | Chapel Hill, NC |
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | law/legal services | Washington, DC |
Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau | research/science | Tbilisi, Georgia |
Madrasati Initiative | education | Ajlun Governorate, Jordan |
Mahaffey Law | law/legal services | Montezuma, IA |
Makerere University College of Health Sciences | research/science | Kampala, Uganda |
Mariposa DR Foundation | communications/media | Cabarete, Dominican Republic |
Mayo Clinic | computing/technology | Rochester, MN |
Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission | government/public policy | Sacramento, CA |
Michigan State House of Representatives | government/public policy | Lansing, MI |
Mid MN Legal Aid | law/legal services | Minneapolis, MN |
Mil Mujeres | law/legal services | Chicago, IL |
Missouri Democratic Party | government/public policy | Lee's Summit, MO |
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico | creative/performing arts | San Juan, PR |
Museum at Eldridge Street | education | New York, NY |
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
National Museum of American History | education | Washington, DC |
NBCUniversal | communications/media | New York, NY |
NC Stage Company | creative/performing arts | Asheville, NC |
New Haven Leon Sister City Project | government/public policy | New Haven, CT |
Newsreel | communications/media | Hoboken, NJ |
North Chicago Community Partners | social services | Lake Bluff, IL |
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation | government/public policy | Santa Barbara, CA |
Observer Research Foundation | government/public policy | Kolkata, India |
Office of Abby Finkenauer, U.S. House of Representatives | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Office of Adam Schiff, U.S. House of Representatives | government/public policy | Burbank, CA |
Office of Joni Ernst, U.S. Senate | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Office of Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senate | government/public policy | Providence, RI |
Office of the Chief Minister | government/public policy | New Delhi, India |
Office of the Director of National Intelligence | government/public policy | remote |
Open Door Ministries | social services | Denver, CO |
Outfox AI | computing/technology | New York, NY |
Outsider | communications/media | Nashville, TN |
Pakistan Post | government/public policy | Islamabad, Pakistan |
Partners for Education | education | Berea, KY |
Period | healthcare | Portland, OR |
Polaris Inc. | computing/technology | Medina, MN |
Polk County Housing Trust Fund | social services | Des Moines, IA |
PrecisionEffect | communications/media | Boston, MA |
Providence Row | business administration/management | London, UK |
PSCORE | government/public policy | Seoul, Republic of Korea |
Public Citizen | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Puerta Grande Law Firm, LLC | law/legal services | Minneapolis, MN |
Quibbl | communications/media | New York, NY |
RefugeeOne | social services | Chicago, IL |
Regenerative Agriculture Foundation | computing/technology | Minneapolis, MN |
Republican Party of Minnesota | government/public policy | Edina, MN |
Resources for Indigenous Empowerment & Survivors | social services | Meskwaki Settlement, IA |
Rio Grande do Sul General Assembly | government/public policy | Porto Alegre, Brazil |
Rotterdam School of Management | research/science | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
Saejowi | social services | Seoul, Republic of Korea |
San Francisco Board of Supervisors | government/public policy | San Francisco, CA |
Save the Children | social services | Washington, DC |
School of Arts & Textile for Garment Industry | education | Lahore, Pakistan |
SHEROES | social services | New Delhi, India |
Skirball Cultural Center | creative/performing arts | Cincinnati, OH |
Spotivity | business administration/management | Chicago, IL |
The Stimson Center | research/science | Washington, DC |
Stranger's Guide | communications/media | Austin, TX |
StriveTogether | education | Berea, KY |
Students for Justice | government/public policy | remote |
Sue Thompson | education | Canberra, Australia |
Super 7 Girls | education | Evanston, IL |
Tallgrass Prairie Center | environment/sustainability | Cedar Falls, IA |
Tedra Cobb for Congress | government/public policy | New York, NY |
Theresa Greenfield for Iowa | government/public policy | Iowa City, IA |
Theresa Greenfield for Iowa | government/public policy | remote |
T-Mobile | data science/analytics | Seattle, WA |
U.S. Department of State | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | data science/analytics | Washington, DC |
U.S. District Court | law/legal services | Providence, RI |
U.S. Embassy in Peru | government/public policy | Lima, Peru |
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | government/public policy | Champaign, IL |
U.S. House of Representatives | government/public policy | St. Paul, MN |
U.S. House of Representatives | government/public policy | West Chicago, IL |
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
UDirect Productions | communications/media | New York, NY |
United Way of Champaign County | social services | Champaign, IL |
University of Nebraska | healthcare | Omaha, NE |
USAID | government/public policy | remote |
Valerie Wilson Travel Inc. | business administration/management | New York, NY |
Verizon Wireless | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals | business administration/management | Boston, MA |
The Violence Project | social services | St. Paul, MN |
VMLY&R Commerce | communications/media | Chicago, IL |
Vote Smart | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
Wallace Centers of Iowa | environment/sustainability | Des Moines, IA |
We Build Agency | environment/sustainability | Chicago, IL |
Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield | computing/technology | Des Moines, IA |
Wells Fargo | computing/technology | West Des Moines, IA |
Women LEAD Nepal | social services | Kathmandu, Nepal |
World Relief | social services | Aurora, IL |
Wright Beamer LLC | law/legal services | Farmington Hills, MI |
Wyrd Armouries | creative/performing arts | Eden, NC |
Yale University | education | New Haven, CT |
Youth Initiative for Human Rights | social services | Pristina, Kosovo |
Research
40%
Political Science
Research Data
Organization | Field | Location |
---|---|---|
American University | LGBTQ Identity in Serbia | Washington, DC |
Boston University | biostatistics | Boston, MA |
Clemson University | graph theory | remote |
Clemson University | mathematics | remote |
Fields Institute | number theory | Toronto, Canada |
Fields Institute | trace formulae | Toronto, Canada |
Iowa State University | historical linguistics | Ames, IA |
Johns Hopkins University | cancer biology | Baltimore, MD |
Michigan State University | Democratic backsliding | East Lansing, MI |
PANDA Collaboration | particle physics | remote |
Pomona College | mathematics | remote |
SEA Semester | sustainability in Polynesian cultures & ecosystems | USA, American Samoa, Tonga, Fiji & New Zealand, |
SIT | French expats in Morocco | Tangier, Morocco |
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital | genome editing | Guangzhou, China |
Tbilisi State Medical University | age-related inflammatory markers | Tbilisi, Georgia |
The New School | Ukrainian conflict | New York, NY |
University of California | computational biology | Los Angeles, CA |
University of Connecticut | optimal transport & fractal analysis | remote |
University of Illinois | cybersecurity | remote |
University of Kansas | mathematical modeling | Lawrence, KS |
University of Michigan | clinical outcomes | Ann Arbor, MI |
University of Michigan | genetics | Ann Arbor, MI |
University of Michigan | public policy & international affairs | Ann Arbor, MI |
University of Pennsylvania | biostatistics | Philadelphia, PA |
University of Pennsylvania | nanorobotics | Philadelphia, PA |
Washington University in St. Louis | magnetic fields | St. Louis, MO |
Service
82%
Off-Campus Study
57%