College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

46 Ranked Colleges
2,044 Degrees Awarded
$21,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 47,549 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 2,044 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 46 colleges that offered 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Poly Sci Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

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

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

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 153 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $25,046 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science at UPenn

2
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Swarthmore College landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 23 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Swarthmore also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $20,813 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Swarthmore College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Swarthmore Political Science Report

3
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Haverford, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,789 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid per year to attend Haverford College.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Political Science at Haverford College

4
HACC crest
Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harrisburg Area Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Harrisburg Area Community College is a fairly large school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,608 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Harrisburg Area Community College.

Read more about Political Science at Harrisburg Area Community College

5

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 207 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $27,058 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Pitt.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

6
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lafayette College is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 52 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania poly sci students with aid list, Lafayette has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lafayette College is $32,926 for pennsylvania 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Lafayette College Political Science Report

7
Lycoming crest
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

Lycoming did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lycoming is $18,554 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Lycoming Political Science Report

8
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 145 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Temple also took the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple is $23,888 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Temple Political Science Report

9
Saint Vincent crest
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

Saint Vincent not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,573 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid per year to attend Saint Vincent.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Saint Vincent College

10
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. WCUPA is a fairly large school located in West Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 47 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

WCUPA also took the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $21,484 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

11
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,927 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

The undergrad 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 SRU

12

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bloomsburg is a medium-sized public school situated in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,639 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Bloomsburg.

Read more about Political Science at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

13

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,363 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Full Edinboro Political Science Report

14

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. IUP is a medium-sized school located in Indiana, Pennsylvania that handed out 31 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $22,828 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid per year to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus.

Full Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Political Science Report

15
Franklin and Marshall crest
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Franklin and Marshall did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall College is $30,911 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Franklin and Marshall

16
Albright crest
Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 14 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Albright is $19,427 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at Albright College

17
Allegheny crest
Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Allegheny is a small school located in Meadville, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Allegheny, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Allegheny College is $24,274 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about Political Science at Allegheny

18
Millersville crest
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Millersville is $23,133 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Millersville University of Pennsylvania Political Science Report

19
East Stroudsburg University crest
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,141 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at East Stroudsburg University

20
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

La Salle University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. La Salle is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 17 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

La Salle also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for La Salle University is $25,819 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at La Salle University

21
Lincoln crest
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

Lincoln University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Lincoln University is a public institution located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,741 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Lincoln.

Read more about Political Science at Lincoln

22
Cabrini University crest
Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania

Cabrini University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cabrini University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Radnor, Pennsylvania. It awarded 11 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $21,020 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid per year to attend Cabrini University.

Read more about Political Science at Cabrini University

23

With a ranking of #23, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Mansfield University is $11,793 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

24
Ship crest
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $23,006 for pennsylvania poly sci students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Ship

25

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Pitt Greensburg is located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,369 for Pennsylvania Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Pitt Greensburg.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Pitt Greensburg Political Science Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options