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2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

130 Ranked Colleges
10,978 Degrees Awarded
$7,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 47,549 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States.

Across the Southeast region, there were 10,978 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 130 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 132 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $-927 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Duke Political Science Report

2

Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington and Lee University landed the #2 spot on the list. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

Washington and Lee not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $850 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science at Washington and Lee

3
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #3 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Vanderbilt University

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 407 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $2,857 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UF

5
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wake Forest University landed the #5 spot on the list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 125 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Wake Forest University also took the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $5,612 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Wake Forest University Political Science Report

6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 360 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,729 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Political Science Report

7
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #7, William & Mary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,507 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at William & Mary

8
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Emory is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 121 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $8,976 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science at Emory

9
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #9, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 513 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $7,349 for southeast region 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 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Florida State Political Science Report

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 189 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for Southeast Region 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at USF Tampa

11
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 114 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,063 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Virginia - Main Campus

12

Florida International University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 345 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,882 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Florida International University

13
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 242 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,688 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Georgia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UGA Political Science Report

14

University of Central Florida ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 381 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,256 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science at University of Central Florida

15
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,606 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Richmond.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at URichmond

16

The University of West Florida ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UWF is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $3,827 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at UWF

17
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #17, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 200 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,003 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Political Science Report

18
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 96 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $6,074 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Political Science Report

19
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #19, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. FAU is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 169 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,262 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FAU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Florida Atlantic University

20
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 163 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $9,448 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Political Science at North Carolina State University

21

Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Charleston, South Carolina, and it awarded 56 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,364 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The Citadel.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The Citadel Political Science Report

22
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $9,940 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 full report on Political Science at Appalachian State University

23

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 184 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,970 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science at UT Knoxville

24
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. WVU is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 86 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University is $10,250 for Southeast Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full WVU Political Science Report

25
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Kentucky is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school has a large population, and it awarded 128 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,424 for southeast region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UK.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 86%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Kentucky

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