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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

86 Ranked Colleges
6,909 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

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 Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Far Western US region, there were 9,248 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,909 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 86 colleges that offer a degree in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science programs that also have a lower cost than 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

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 263 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,297 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.

Full UW Seattle Political Science Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 95 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 California State University - Los Angeles Political Science Report

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at Stanford

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 692 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend UCLA.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at UCLA

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at California State University - Fullerton

#15 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 307 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 UC Irvine

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,215 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Dominguez Hills

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 67 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read more about Political Science at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Northridge came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at CSUN

California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 172 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 California State University - Long Beach

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 120 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,232 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - San Diego

#12

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 482 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,329 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of California - Berkeley

#13

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 213 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Riverside Political Science Report

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $6,019 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Stan State

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 61 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full CSUSB Political Science Report

#16

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $22,161 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Claremont McKenna Political Science Report

#17

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 297 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UCSB

California State University - Sacramento ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 174 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,979 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Sac State

#13 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at UC Davis

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 29 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at CSUB

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,424 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend UNLV.

Read full report on Political Science at UNLV

#22

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 109 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full San Diego State University Political Science Report

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 129 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Full SFSU Political Science Report

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 68 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,399 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

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%.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - San Marcos

#25

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 98 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for far western us region bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State 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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