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

53 Ranked Colleges
3,518 Degrees Awarded
$8,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

Across the Southwest region, there were 3,781 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,518 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 53 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science programs, but they also cost less that 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 the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 37 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $3,437 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Rice University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Laredo, Texas, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,261 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Full Texas A&M International University Political Science Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 295 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Texas A&M College Station

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 355 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for Southwest Region 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%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Political Science Report

#16 in overall quality

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $8,521 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at University of North Texas

#1 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 328 students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $12,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full UT Austin Political Science Report

#8

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#10 in overall quality

University of Arizona landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 205 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,562 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Arizona

Texas Woman’s University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for TWU is $6,706 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at TWU

#10

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,317 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Political Science at Texas Tech University

With a ranking of #11, University of North Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Texas at Dallas is a small school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 5 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,732 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas at Dallas.

Full UNT Dallas Political Science Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $10,516 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#13

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 211 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $10,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Houston

#14

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas
#8 in overall quality

Trinity University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Trinity U also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Trinity U is $12,373 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Political Science at Trinity University

#17 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 52 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $8,669 for Southwest Region 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 85%.

Read full report on Political Science at OSU

#7 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 61 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $10,857 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at UT Dallas

The University of Texas at Tyler came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Tyler is a medium-sized public school situated in Tyler, Texas. It awarded 22 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Tyler is $6,797 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at UT Tyler

#22 in overall quality

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a medium-sized school located in Odessa, Texas that handed out 9 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Permian Basin has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $7,889 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science at UT Permian Basin

Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Durant, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,102 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#20

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. ECU is located in Ada, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend East Central University is $7,787 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science at ECU

The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 47 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,092 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of Texas at El Paso Political Science Report

#22

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #22, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Angelo State is a public institution located in San Angelo, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Angelo State is $9,799 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at Angelo State University

#23

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#19 in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $11,125 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at Texas State University

#23

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#14 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 159 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Skysong is $12,037 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Arizona State University - Skysong Political Science Report

#24

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#21 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SHSU is a large school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 57 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $10,561 for southwest region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sam Houston State University.

Read full report on Political Science at SHSU

Stephen F Austin State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stephen F Austin State University is located in Nacogdoches, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SFASU is $8,650 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Stephen F Austin State University 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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