Students who major in political science study the government, both in theory in practice. The most common tracks are American Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Comparative Politics. Below you’ll find eight schools with political science programs that caught our eye. As always, we do not make these lists based on rankings. Instead, we look for special opportunities that might interest our blog readers. Keep reading for our list:

It should go without saying that there are tons of great colleges out there. When working with TKG clients, we like to start by assessing academic viability and then move on to metrics like academic programs, location, size, and culture. When you’re open-minded about the college research process, you’ll stumble upon tons of gems that you might have not considered before. Keep reading for a few of our favorites:

International Relations is a popular major chosen by students who want to study how different nations are connected on a global level. International Relations is often shortened to “IR,” and is usually grouped in with the Political Science, Government, and Policy resources. Before we move on to our list, a tip. Not every school uses the term “international relations.” If you’re curious about what a school of interest has to offer, and it isn’t on the list below, be sure to look through their list of programs. It’s often called global studies.

So you like to hike. There are many college campuses that boast not just academic adventures, but outdoor adventures just outside of the classroom. We’ve rounded up the best schools that happen to be very close to mountains, ideal for the student who also identifies as a hiker, skier, mountain biker, or just adventurous walker (isn’t that basically what hiking is?).

So, you want to go to a great college but you also fancy yourself a fish. A beachcomber. A Surfer. A swimmer. However you identify, we’ve rounded up the top colleges and universities that also happen to be near some of the most amazing beaches in the U.S. Yes, you really can have it all (if you work hard). We got you.

New York is a big place--it’s home to New York City, hundreds of small towns in upstate New York, and once you get north enough you’re basically in Canada. There are a number of great schools in New York, but we want to highlight the top schools, their differences, and their strengths. When one says “I want to go to college in New York,” they often mean Manhattan, but there’s much more to New York than just “the city.” If you have an open mind, you can find lots of different college environments of different sizes and specializations throughout the state. We’ll take you through them

So you want to go to school in la la land. We don’t blame you--the weather rules, the beach is close, there are tons of internship opportunities, and an overflowing handful of incredible schools in the Los Angeles area of all shapes and sizes. And we know, LA isn’t just for folks who are interested in working in Hollywood. There are also lots of opportunities for those interested in the arts, politics, sciences, tech (haven’t you heard: Silicon Valley is and on the move!), and beyond. Today we’re breaking down the best colleges in Los Angeles for you.

If the Women’s March was any indication, the past few years have been marked by a new wave of feminist mobilization. It may come as no surprise that both applications and yield rates at the nation’s top women’s colleges have increased since 2016. Some women choose to attend a women’s college for the experience of sisterhood, but for many, the appeal is the opportunity to attend an elite college.

When one of our writers was a kid, she and her sister looked exactly like the Olsen Twins. This was in the early days of Full House when the toddler Twins were all the rage. Our writer’s mother would dress the girls alike—they even had the same blonde bob. Inevitably, most weeks, someone would approach them with an “OH MY GOSH, YOUR TWINS LOOK JUST LIKE THE OLSENS!” Often times, people would just assume they were the Olsens. Eventually, her mother stopped fighting it. “Yup. Those are the Twins.” Except our writer and her sister are not twins. They are, in fact, nearly three years apart.