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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science

748 Ranked Colleges
41,915 Degrees Awarded
$14,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

Political Science is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,740 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 41,915 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 748 colleges that offered a degree in political science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science programs and 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Bachelor’s”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science

Top 15% in overall quality

Out of the 748 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 133 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

BYU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

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 92%.

Read full report on Political Science at Brigham Young University - Provo

#2

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
Top 25% in overall quality

Out of the 748 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,222 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full American Public University System Political Science Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 41 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $7,167 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at BYU - I

Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Political Science Report

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

Out of the 748 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 12 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 UW - River Falls

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. ASU - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,971 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend ASU - Skysong.

Full ASU - Skysong Political Science Report

#7

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bemidji State University is a public institution located in Bemidji, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $15,868 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Full Bemidji State University Political Science Report

#8

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

Park University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Parkville, Missouri, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $15,579 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Full Park University Political Science Report

#9

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
Top 25% in overall quality

Truman State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $12,462 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Truman State University Political Science Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,580 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 86%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Political Science Report

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a medium-sized school located in Odessa, Texas that handed out 9 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,092 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

#12

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

With a ranking of #12, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,252 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 more about Political Science at South Dakota State

Brigham Young University - Hawaii came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. BYU - H is a private not-for-profit institution located in Laie, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Hawaii is $14,051 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Brigham Young University - Hawaii

#14

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UND is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 25 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,738 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend UND.

The 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 UND

#15

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $19,926 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read more about Political Science at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Political Science Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read more about Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The low 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%.

Read more about Political Science at UMN Duluth

#19

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 129 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend Hunter College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter Political Science Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at UW - Whitewater

#21

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota

Northern State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Northern State University is a small school located in Aberdeen, South Dakota that handed out 4 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NSU is $15,851 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Full NSU Political Science Report

#22

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 39 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read more about Political Science at Saint Cloud State University

#23

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Dakota is $18,555 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

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%.

Read more about Political Science at University of South Dakota

With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at SIUE

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Morris, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,412 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend UMN Morris.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Minnesota - Morris

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#28

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#29

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#30

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#31

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#32

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana
#33

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#34

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#36

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#37

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#39

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#40

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#42

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#43

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#45

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#46

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#47

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#48

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#49

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#50

SUNY Geneseo

Geneseo, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 East Central University Ada, OK
52 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
53 Florida International University Miami, FL
54 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
55 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
56 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
57 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
58 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
59 Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD
60 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
61 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
62 Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA
63 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
64 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
65 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA
Rank College Location
65 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
67 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
68 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
69 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
70 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
71 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
72 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
73 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
74 Queens College Queens, NY
75 Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA
75 Angelo State University San Angelo, TX
77 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
78 University of North Texas Denton, TX
79 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
80 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
81 Central College Pella, IA
82 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
83 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
84 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
85 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
86 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
87 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
88 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
89 Troy University Troy, AL
90 SUNY Cortland Cortland, NY
Rank College Location
91 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
92 National University La Jolla, CA
92 Colorado State University - Pueblo Pueblo, CO
94 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
95 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
96 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
97 Columbia College Columbia, MO
98 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
99 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
100 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
101 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL
102 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
103 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
104 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
105 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
106 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
106 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
108 MSU Texas Wichita Falls, TX
109 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
110 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
111 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
112 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
113 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY

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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