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

68 Ranked Colleges
2,255 Degrees Awarded
$10,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States region, there were 2,374 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,255 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 68 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

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $5,273 for plains states region 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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.

Read more about Political Science at WUSTL

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 261 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $4,230 for plains states 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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Morris Political Science Report

#4

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#19 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Truman State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Truman State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $7,564 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Truman State University Political Science Report

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,443 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#6

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

St Olaf College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $12,459 for Plains States 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 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at St. Olaf

#9 in overall quality

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at Iowa State University

#8

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#2 in overall quality

Grinnell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Grinnell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grinnell, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Grinnell has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grinnell is $11,945 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Grinnell

#12 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 149 students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Mizzou Political Science Report

#10

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#23 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 39 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $10,688 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full St. Cloud State University Political Science Report

#11

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

UNI also took the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,757 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 more about Political Science at UNI

#17 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 29 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,524 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at North Dakota State University

#24 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 85 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNL has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $12,216 for plains states region 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNL Political Science Report

#14

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 143 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,975 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Iowa

#15

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Macalester College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Macalester College is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 36 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,158 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Macalester.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Macalester

#16

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Bemidji, Minnesota, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,632 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Read full report on Political Science at Bemidji State University

#17

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #17, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UND is $11,092 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UND

#18

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Gustavus Adolphus has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $12,150 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Gustavus Adolphus College

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,490 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Political Science Report

#20

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $7,401 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Political Science Report

#21

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $12,381 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Winona State University

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,057 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Minnesota State Mankato

#23

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

Saint Johns University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Johns University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SJU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SJU is $14,683 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full SJU Political Science Report

Fort Hays State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hays, Kansas 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.

The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $9,464 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at Fort Hays State University

Missouri Southern State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized 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 Missouri Southern State University is $7,882 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science at Missouri Southern State University

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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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