Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

116 Ranked Colleges
5,312 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Political Science is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,740 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,729 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,312 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 116 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 121 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $6,452 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

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 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 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,934 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Political Science at University of Chicago

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 320 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,028 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Political Science Report

#4

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 181 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $17,768 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Notre Dame Political Science Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 363 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $13,227 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at UW - Madison

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $9,654 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Purdue Political Science Report

#7 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 259 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 UIUC

#15 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 289 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,982 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State Political Science Report

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 92 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,060 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Indiana University - Bloomington

#10

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Richmond, Indiana, this small public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,723 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU East.

Read full report on Political Science at IU East

#11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $13,304 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UW - La Crosse

#12

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,769 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Beloit College.

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 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science at Beloit College

#13

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 12 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,474 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - River Falls.

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 full report on Political Science at UW - River Falls

#14

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 26 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $14,584 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science at UW - Green Bay

#15

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#9 in overall quality

Denison University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Denison has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Denison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 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 full report on Political Science at Denison University

#16

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,152 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,683 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Illinois at Chicago

#18

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $11,857 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Political Science Report

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $10,553 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UM Dearborn Political Science Report

#20

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 42 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,941 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#21

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $14,907 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science at SXU

#22

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $19,691 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Political Science Report

#23

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 87 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,346 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science at NIU

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full IUPUI Political Science Report

#25

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 23 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,165 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You