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2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

85 Ranked Colleges
5,677 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 47,549 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,677 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 85 colleges that offer a degree in political science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 85 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 257 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Political Science Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 424 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 135 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region poly sci students with aid list, Purdue has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Purdue University - Main Campus

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 285 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

U-M also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full U-M Political Science Report

5
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Out of the 85 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 141 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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.

Read full report on Political Science at IU Bloomington

6

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region poly sci students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UIC

7

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at IUPUI

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 277 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 Ohio State

9

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at UW - La Crosse

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 152 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Political Science at Michigan State University

11
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 140 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Northwestern Political Science Report

12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,844 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

The undergrad 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 full report on Political Science at UW - River Falls

13

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,417 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at UW - Whitewater

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,034 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

The undergrad 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 more about Political Science at University of Illinois at Springfield

15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 69 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at UWM

16

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,051 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

17
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 27 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Ball State University

18

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 20 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,687 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Political Science Report

19

Purdue University Northwest ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 11 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at Purdue University Northwest

20
Indiana University - Southeast crest
Indiana University - Southeast
New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this small public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $11,446 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

Full Indiana University - Southeast Political Science Report

21
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana State is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $14,270 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

Full Indiana State Political Science Report

22
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 33 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,098 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid per year to attend EIU.

Full EIU Political Science Report

23

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $13,092 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

24
USI crest
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #24, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 22 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,481 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students with aid.

The undergrad 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 USI

25

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region poly sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at UW - Stevens Point

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