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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k)

742 Ranked Colleges
41,915 Degrees Awarded
$4,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 41,915 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 742 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 742 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 131 students in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-1,314 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. 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.

Read more about Political Science at Duke

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $1,010 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Harvard.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Political Science at Harvard

#3

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Yale also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $1,647 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Yale University

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 158 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $4,833 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Political Science Report

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 742 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $3,995 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Political Science Report

#6

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#9 in overall quality

Stanford University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,145 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Stanford University

#7

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

Washington and Lee University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $2,039 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington and Lee.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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.

Read more about Political Science at Washington and Lee

#8

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis 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.

WUSTL also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $6,248 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full WUSTL Political Science Report

#9

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 106 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,800 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 100%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full UChicago Political Science Report

#10

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#6 in overall quality

Cornell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 153 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $7,518 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Cornell

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 255 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,287 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Political Science Report

#12

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
Top 5% in overall quality

Brown University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Brown also did well on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $6,684 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brown University Political Science Report

#13

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#16 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $6,017 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Political Science at Vanderbilt University

#14

Rice University

Houston, Texas
Top 10% in overall quality

Rice University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rice 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 it offers, Rice is also in the top of our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $7,534 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Full Rice University Political Science Report

#15

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

Wake Forest University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,981 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wake Forest University Political Science Report

#16

Colby College

Waterville, Maine
Top 10% in overall quality

Colby College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Waterville, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Colby is in the top on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Colby is $3,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Political Science at Colby College

#17

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Williams College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,223 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Williams College Political Science Report

#18

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#24 in overall quality

Princeton University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Princeton University is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 70 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Princeton has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton is $2,044 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Read more about Political Science at Princeton University

#19

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Amherst College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Amherst also took the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Amherst is $4,423 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Amherst College

#20

Bates College

Lewiston, Maine
#21 in overall quality

Bates College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Lewiston, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Bates did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Bates is $9,039 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Bates College

#21

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#2 in overall quality

Dartmouth College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 129 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,830 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dartmouth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read full report on Political Science at Dartmouth College

#22

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Top 5% in overall quality

Swarthmore College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It awarded 38 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $8,701 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Swarthmore Political Science Report

#23

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#17 in overall quality

Pomona College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Pomona College is $8,655 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Pomona

#24

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
Top 5% in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Johns Hopkins is in the top on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $8,210 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. 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.

Read more about Political Science at Johns Hopkins University

#25

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 362 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $4,069 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Florida

#25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Top 5% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 320 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, U-M is in the top on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $5,887 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at U-M

Rest of the Best 49 in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine
#28

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#29

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#30

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#31

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#33

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#34

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#35

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#36

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#37

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#38

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania
#39

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut
#40

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#41

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#42

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#43

Hunter College

New York, New York
#45

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#46

Baruch College

New York, New York
#47

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#50

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
52 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
53 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
54 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
55 Queens College Queens, NY
56 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
57 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
58 The City College of New York New York, NY
59 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
60 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
61 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
62 Florida International University Miami, FL
63 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
64 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
65 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
Rank College Location
66 Lafayette College Easton, PA
67 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
68 Smith College Northampton, MA
69 Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY
70 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
71 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
72 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
73 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
74 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO
75 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
76 Lehman College Bronx, NY
77 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
78 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
79 Barnard College New York, NY
80 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
81 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
82 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
83 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
84 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
85 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
86 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
86 University of North Texas Denton, TX
88 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
89 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
90 York College Jamaica, NY
Rank College Location
90 University of Georgia Athens, GA
92 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
93 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
94 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
95 Boston University Boston, MA
96 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
97 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
98 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
99 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
100 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
101 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
102 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
103 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
104 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
105 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
106 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
107 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
108 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
109 Iowa State University Ames, IA
110 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
111 George Washington University Washington, DC
112 Connecticut College New London, CT

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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