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2022 Best Value Colleges for Political Science in Illinois (With Aid)

34 Ranked Colleges
1,532 Degrees Awarded
$18,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” 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 Illinois, there were 1,532 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 34 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. 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois poly sci students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science in Illinois (With Aid)

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois 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 public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 268 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Political Science at UIC

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 41 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Xavier University landed the #4 spot on the list. Saint Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,528 for illinois poly sci students with aid per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Full SXU Political Science Report

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students with aid list, NIU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid.

Full NIU Political Science Report

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,607 for illinois poly sci students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Political Science at Eastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 30 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend SIUE.

Full SIUE Political Science Report

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 149 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students with aid list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 University

#9

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $11,733 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science at Chicago State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 32 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at SIUC

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 26 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

Full WIU Political Science Report

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 25 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Political Science Report

#13

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $17,538 for illinois poly sci students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

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

#14

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 96 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Illinois State University

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 7 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,562 for illinois poly sci students with aid per year to attend Illinois College.

Read more about Political Science at Illinois College

#16

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Dominican U.

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 U

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,485 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Elmhurst University.

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%.

Full Elmhurst Political Science Report

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid.

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

Full Augustana Political Science Report

#19

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $25,358 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 90%. 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

#20

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,512 for illinois poly sci students with aid per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read more about Political Science at Concordia University, Chicago

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Political Science Report

#22

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $21,331 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

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.

Full Millikin University Political Science Report

#23

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,844 for Illinois Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend McKendree.

Read more about Political Science at McKendree

#24

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 126 ’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students with aid list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $27,315 for illinois poly sci students with aid.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full UChicago Political Science Report

#25

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $22,292 for illinois poly sci students with aid per year to attend Knox College.

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%. 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.

Full Knox Political Science Report

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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