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2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

110 Ranked Colleges
688 Degrees Awarded
$35,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 688 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 110 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the political science program at the school. 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 Doctorate For Those Getting Aid”.

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. 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 Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (With Aid)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Yale also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Yale Political Science Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 8 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Political Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#3

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Political Science at Harvard

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Florida

#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Political Science Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 7 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294.

Read full report on Political Science at UW Seattle

#7

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#4 in overall quality

Stanford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 18 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Political Science at Stanford University

#8

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#10 in overall quality

Princeton University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Princeton has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Political Science at Princeton

#13 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.

Read full report on Political Science at U-M

#10

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Political Science Report

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 7 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Dallas are $28,610, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science at The University of Texas at Dallas

#12

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 5 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794.

Read more about Political Science at Purdue University - Main Campus

With a ranking of #13, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 5 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Read more about Political Science at UIUC

#6 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.

Full Columbia Political Science Report

University of California - San Diego ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - San Diego are $28,631, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science at UCSD

#16

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Pennsylvania

#17

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Political Science Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Los Angeles

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UT Austin Political Science Report

University of California - Irvine landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 6 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Political Science at UC Irvine

#20

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Political Science at UCR

#21

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia are $32,394, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Political Science at University of Virginia

#22

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Michigan State Political Science Report

Florida International University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida International University are $24,211.

Read more about Political Science at Florida International University

Top 25% in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - Davis Political Science Report

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNLV is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNLV are $21,962.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

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

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