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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

34 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

Across Illinois, there were 1,532 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in political science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science programs and 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 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 Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k 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 #2 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 6 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 Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 106 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $7,934 for illinois 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 100%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at UChicago

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 259 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Political Science Report

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UIC

#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Political Science at UIS

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, SXU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Read more about Political Science at SXU

#7

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for Illinois 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Political Science Report

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, NIU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Illinois University Political Science Report

#18 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 30 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, SIUE has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $13,705 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Political Science Report

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $13,560 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Political Science Report

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Political Science Report

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low 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%.

Full Illinois State University Political Science Report

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WIU.

Full Western Illinois University Political Science Report

#14

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Augustana has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $21,453 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Augustana Political Science Report

#15

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Saint Francis Political Science Report

#16

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Lake Forest College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $24,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Lake Forest

#17

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,653 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Knox.

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. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 more about Political Science at Knox College

#18

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,703 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Elmhurst.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Elmhurst

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Political Science Report

#20

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $14,942 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Illinois College Political Science Report

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $17,841 for Illinois 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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Political Science Report

#22

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $20,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on Political Science at Millikin

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $23,353 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at North Central College

#24

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $18,582 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Political Science at Dominican University

#25

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,295 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science at Concordia University, Chicago

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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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