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

59 Ranked Colleges
1,782 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Political Science is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,740 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 1,836 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,782 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The poly sci school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 158 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $3,181 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UPenn

#2

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Swarthmore College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $5,860 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Swarthmore.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Swarthmore College

#3

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Haverford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $6,582 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Haverford.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Haverford Political Science Report

#4

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 68 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $6,934 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Political Science at Lafayette College

#5

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dickinson College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dickinson, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson is $11,046 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Dickinson Political Science Report

#6

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Gettysburg College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Gettysburg is a small school located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 74 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gettysburg, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $11,244 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gettysburg College.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Gettysburg Political Science Report

#7

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

Lehigh University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Lehigh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lehigh University is $14,080 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Lehigh Political Science Report

#8

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Franklin and Marshall College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Franklin and Marshall is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Franklin and Marshall not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall College is $11,503 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Franklin and Marshall

#9

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Greensburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Greensburg is $13,700 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Pitt Greensburg

#10

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

Bryn Mawr College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

Bryn Mawr not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Bryn Mawr is $13,226 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Bryn Mawr College

#11

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is a small public school situated in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $16,112 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Johnstown Political Science Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 186 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,075 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pitt Political Science Report

#13

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

SRU also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend SRU is $14,088 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SRU Political Science Report

#14

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University is $15,083 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

#15

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Saint Vincent College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Latrobe, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saint Vincent, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $14,691 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Vincent.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Vincent College Political Science Report

#16

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,906 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lycoming.

Full Lycoming Political Science Report

#17

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Bucknell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Lewisburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bucknell has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,342 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bucknell University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at Bucknell University

#18

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. WCUPA is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,531 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WCUPA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full WCUPA Political Science Report

#19

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #19, Albright College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Albright College is $15,077 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science at Albright College

#20

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

Susquehanna University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Susquehanna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Susquehanna is $19,823 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Political Science at Susquehanna

#21

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Muhlenberg College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Allentown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Muhlenberg, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Muhlenberg is $14,567 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Muhlenberg College

#22

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Westminster College Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Westminster New Wilmington is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Westminster College Pennsylvania is $15,267 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Westminster New Wilmington Political Science Report

#23

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,169 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Edinboro.

Read more about Political Science at Edinboro

#24

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $15,638 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

#25

Allegheny College

Meadville, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Allegheny is a small school located in Meadville, Pennsylvania that handed out 15 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Allegheny is $16,221 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Allegheny College Political Science Report

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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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