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

164 Ranked Colleges
10,353 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 Southeast region, there were 10,925 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,353 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 164 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

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

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 164 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 131 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $4,150 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive 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 Duke University

#2

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Washington and Lee has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,718 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington and Lee University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 97%.

Read more about Political Science at Washington and Lee

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $8,086 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Political Science at Vanderbilt

#4

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wake Forest University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,004 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

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

Full Wake Forest University Political Science Report

#5

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 362 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UF has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $8,528 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive 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 97%.

Full UF Political Science Report

#6

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

William & Mary landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, William & Mary has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $11,721 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary Political Science Report

#7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#7 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 339 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,060 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Political Science at UNC Chapel Hill

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 292 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,298 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FIU.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at Florida International University

#9

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#20 in overall quality

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 418 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Florida State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,583 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Florida State

#10

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 331 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCF is also in the top of our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $11,161 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, 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 92%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Central Florida

#11

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,671 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#12

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#6 in overall quality

Emory University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $19,672 for Southeast 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 93%. The impressive 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Emory University Political Science Report

Top 25% in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 196 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $9,809 for southeast 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 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#14

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $7,511 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science at UWF

#15

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

University of Richmond landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $12,923 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full URichmond Political Science Report

#16

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#16 in overall quality

North Carolina State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $15,084 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at NC State

#17

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. The Citadel is a small public school situated in Charleston, South Carolina. It awarded 49 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The Citadel also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $15,483 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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

#18

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 208 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UGA has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,748 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UGA

#19

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
Top 20% in overall quality

American Public University System landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, American Military University is in the top on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $8,461 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at American Military University

#20

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fort Myers, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,344 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FGCU.

Read full report on Political Science at FGCU

#21

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

With a ranking of #21, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Florida is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,006 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Florida.

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 University of North Florida

#22

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 194 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $19,067 for southeast 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 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Virginia Tech Political Science Report

#23

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Dahlonega, Georgia, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Georgia is $11,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science at University of North Georgia

#24

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 152 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $11,786 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Florida Atlantic University Political Science Report

#25

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Augusta University is a public institution located in Augusta, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $12,274 for southeast region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Augusta 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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