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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

34 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 46,740 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 1,532 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 121 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Political Science Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 106 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Chicago

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 259 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Political Science Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science at SIUE

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 72 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UIC

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,266 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at Saint Xavier University

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full NIU Political Science Report

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 87 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Political Science Report

#9

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Wheaton College Illinois

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science at EIU

#11

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 19 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $9,771 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Political Science Report

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Political Science Report

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 18 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WIU.

Read full report on Political Science at Western Illinois University

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science at Illinois College

#15

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Lake Forest College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Forest is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $18,192 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest College Political Science Report

#16

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of St Francis

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $16,903 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Elmhurst University

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $20,355 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana College Political Science Report

#19

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $17,205 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Bradley

#20

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small school located in Bloomington, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Political Science Report

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Knox College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Knox not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $16,828 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Knox College

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,816 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Political Science at Northeastern Illinois University

#23

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $15,184 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at McKendree University

#24

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $17,656 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Political Science at Millikin University

#25

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Dominican University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $17,060 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Political Science at Dominican U

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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