2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k
18
Ranked Colleges
1,575
Degrees Awarded
$15,600
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 47,549 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States.
Across Virginia, there were 1,575 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 18 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.
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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 18 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington and Lee University is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 59 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Washington and Lee not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee is $850 for Virginia Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at Washington and Lee
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 170 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for virginia 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 93%. The low undergrad 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%.
Full William & Mary Political Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 114 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $10,063 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Richmond landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $8,606 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend URichmond.
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%. The impressive undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full URichmond Political Science Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #5 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 200 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $14,003 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Political Science at Virginia Tech
With a ranking of #6, James Madison University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 130 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, JMU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,985 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend James Madison University.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full JMU Political Science Report
George Mason University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, GMU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $15,979 for Virginia Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 full report on Political Science at George Mason University
University of Mary Washington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. UMW is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
UMW also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary Washington is $16,459 for Virginia Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at UMW
Old Dominion University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Old Dominion is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 44 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Old Dominion not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Old Dominion is $13,574 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Political Science at Old Dominion
Radford University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
Radford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Radford is $13,026 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Radford University Political Science Report
Christopher Newport University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Christopher Newport University is located in Newport News, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
CNU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Christopher Newport University is $15,990 for Virginia Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full CNU Political Science Report
With a ranking of #12, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school handed out 201 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, VCU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $15,891 for Virginia Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University
With a ranking of #13, Regent University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 30 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Regent also took the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,707 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Regent University.
Read more about Political Science at Regent University
Roanoke College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Salem, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Roanoke has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roanoke College is $20,849 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Roanoke Political Science Report
Randolph - Macon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Randolph - Macon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Virginia. It awarded 14 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Randolph - Macon also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon College is $20,027 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Political Science at Randolph - Macon
Virginia State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Petersburg, Virginia, and it awarded 20 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,672 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia State.
Read full report on Political Science at Virginia State
Liberty University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 177 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Liberty University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $27,251 for virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Political Science at Liberty University
Hampden - Sydney College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 20 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Hampden - Sydney has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hampden - Sydney is $27,931 for Virginia Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Political Science at Hampden - Sydney
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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
- *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.
Credits
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