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2026 Best Value Political Economy Schools in Washington

[Political Economy](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-economy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong political economy education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value political economy schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Political Economy Schools in Washington

2026 Best Value Political Economy Schools in Washington

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the political economy degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Political Economy Schools

1

University Of Washington Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA

$12,919 In-State Tuition & Fees

$14,000 Avg Student Debt

$78,466 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked University Of Washington Bothell Campus the best value for a degree in political economy in Washington. University Of Washington Bothell Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Bothell. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,919, with out-of-state students paying around $43,155. Students borrow a median of $14,000 to complete the political economy program here. Soon after graduation, political economy degree recipients from University Of Washington Bothell Campus generally make around $41,246. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.

2

University Of Puget Sound
Tacoma, WA

$62,898 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,801 Avg Student Debt

$69,594 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Puget Sound came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value political economy schools. Located in the city of Tacoma, University Of Puget Sound is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,898. Typical student debt for political economy graduates is $22,801. Early-career political economy graduates make about $31,290. That is a strong return on a $22,801 median debt. University Of Puget Sound admits about 72% of applicants.

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.