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2022 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

56 Ranked Colleges
3,781 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

Across the Southwest region, there were 3,781 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 56 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the political science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

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 Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $7,534 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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.

Read more about Political Science at Rice

#2

Central New Mexico Community College

Albuquerque, New Mexico

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central New Mexico Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. CNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 19 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNM, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central New Mexico Community College is $3,626 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Central New Mexico Community College Political Science Report

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #3 spot on the list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 59 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M International University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Texas A&M International University is located in Laredo, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $2,298 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at Texas A&M International University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 123 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $9,082 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of North Texas Political Science Report

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 303 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $13,270 for southwest 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 94%. 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%.

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

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 364 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,921 for southwest 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.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Political Science Report

With a ranking of #8, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 347 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $13,575 for southwest region 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UT Austin

#9

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 205 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,466 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arizona.

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

Read more about Political Science at University of Arizona

#10

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 222 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $9,925 for Southwest 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 86%.

Read more about Political Science at UH

#11

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas

Texas Woman’s University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. TWU is a fairly large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 33 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,050 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend TWU.

Read more about Political Science at Texas Woman’s University

With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio is $11,109 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at UTSA

#13

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 114 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $13,326 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Texas Tech University

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

OSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,962 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at OSU

University of North Texas at Dallas landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Texas at Dallas is a small public school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 5 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNT Dallas is $8,141 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of North Texas at Dallas Political Science Report

With a ranking of #16, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 9 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Permian Basin has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,221 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. UT Tyler is a medium-sized public school situated in Tyler, Texas. It awarded 24 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Tyler is $7,058 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full The University of Texas at Tyler Political Science Report

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Dallas has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,745 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Dallas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UT Dallas

#19

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. East Central University is a public institution located in Ada, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ECU is $8,259 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at East Central University

Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public institution located in Durant, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,704 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#21

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas

Trinity University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Trinity U has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity University is $12,991 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Political Science at Trinity U

#22

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ASU - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 159 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $12,020 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at Arizona State University - Skysong

With a ranking of #22, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at El Paso is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,427 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science at The University of Texas at El Paso

#23

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $12,292 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Texas State Political Science Report

#24

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Angelo State University is a public institution located in San Angelo, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Angelo State University is $11,516 for Southwest Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Angelo State Political Science Report

#25

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

With a ranking of #25, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SHSU is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, SHSU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,634 for southwest region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sam Houston State University.

Full Sam Houston State University Political Science Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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