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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in the Plains States Region

68 Ranked Colleges
2,255 Degrees Awarded
$16,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region

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 the Plains States Region” 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 the Plains States region, there were 2,374 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,255 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 68 colleges that offer 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in the Plains States Region

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. North Dakota State University is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 29 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,584 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

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 full report on Political Science at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

#2

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bemidji State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $15,868 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read more about Political Science at Bemidji State University

#3

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Park University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 5 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Read full report on Political Science at Park University

#4

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#19 in overall quality

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Truman State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $12,462 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 Truman State University Political Science Report

#5

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. South Dakota State is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 21 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at South Dakota State

#6

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #6, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UND is $15,738 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

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 North Dakota

#18 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $17,067 for plains states region 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 full report on Political Science at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#8

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota

Northern State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern State University is $15,851 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read more about Political Science at Northern State University

#9

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#23 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Saint Cloud State University

#10

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. USD is a medium-sized school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 26 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Dakota is $18,555 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of South Dakota

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. University of Minnesota - Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $11,412 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

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%.

Full UMN Morris Political Science Report

#12

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Winona State University is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Winona State University

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University Political Science Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

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 Minnesota State Mankato

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,725 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Missouri State University - Springfield

#16

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#25 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also took the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Northern Iowa

#17

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 15 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $17,491 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Lindenwood University

Fort Hays State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. FHSU is a fairly large school located in Hays, Kansas that handed out 30 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fort Hays State University is $12,053 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Fort Hays State University

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Moorhead is $16,893 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

#20

Black Hills State University

Spearfish, South Dakota

Black Hills State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Spearfish, South Dakota, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,641 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend BHSU.

Full Black Hills State University Political Science Report

Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. Northwest is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,354 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Read full report on Political Science at Northwest

#22

Central College

Pella, Iowa

Central College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Pella, Iowa, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Central is $23,269 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Central College

#23

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri

Columbia College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Columbia College is a medium-sized school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 12 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Columbia College is $26,730 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Read full report on Political Science at Columbia College

#24

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. UCM is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 34 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,677 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students per year to attend University of Central Missouri.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Central Missouri

#25

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#16 in overall quality

University of Kansas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 112 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

KU also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend KU is $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full KU 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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