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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in Illinois

34 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$18,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Bachelor’s in Illinois” 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.

Across Illinois, there were 1,532 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” 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.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois.

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

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 259 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UIUC

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full SIUE Political Science Report

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Political Science at EIU

#22 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #5 spot on the list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Political Science at UIS

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Northern Illinois University

#10 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Political Science Report

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Western Illinois University

With a ranking of #9, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about Political Science at Northeastern Illinois University

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Political Science Report

#11

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend CSU.

The impressive 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.

Read more about Political Science at Chicago State University

#12

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about Political Science at Wheaton College Illinois

#13

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at Bradley

#14

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. McKendree is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $19,844 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read more about Political Science at McKendree University

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend Illinois College.

Read more about Political Science at Illinois College

#16

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. SXU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $14,528 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read more about Political Science at SXU

#17

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 University of Saint Francis

#18

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois

Benedictine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Lisle, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine University is $25,143 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Benedictine U

#19

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Rockford University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Rockford University is located in Rockford, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Rockford University is $22,197 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

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.

Read full report on Political Science at Rockford

#20

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Dominican University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend Dominican U.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Dominican U Political Science Report

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

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%.

Read more about Political Science at Olivet Nazarene University

#22

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst

#23

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Political Science Report

#24

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

North Central also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College Political Science Report

#25

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #25. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,749 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend Roosevelt.

Full Roosevelt University Political Science Report

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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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