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2026 Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Other Political Science & Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-science-and-government-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other political science & government schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools in the The Plains States Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other political science & government, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools

1

University Of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA

$9,936 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$55,177 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is University Of Northern Iowa, our #1 best value for other political science & government in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,936, with out-of-state students paying around $21,712. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the other political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, other political science & government degree recipients from University Of Northern Iowa generally make around $37,875. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.

2

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

$9,299 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$55,070 Median Earnings (10yr)

South Dakota State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value other political science & government schools. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the other political science & government program here. Early-career other political science & government graduates make about $51,260. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.

View All Other Political Science & Government Rankings >

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 · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.