2024 Best Value Colleges for Political Science in Illinois
26
Ranked Colleges
1,470
Degrees Awarded
$20,100
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 47,549 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across Illinois, there were 1,470 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 26 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois poly sci students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science in Illinois
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 #1 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 257 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $14,321 for illinois poly sci students per year to attend UIUC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Political Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 66 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,830 for illinois poly sci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Illinois State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for illinois poly sci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UIC Political Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 75 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $13,956 for Illinois Poly Sci students.
Full Northern Illinois University Political Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,285 for Illinois Poly Sci students.
The impressive undergraduate 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 more about Political Science at SIUC
University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 38 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,034 for illinois poly sci students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at UIS
Eastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 33 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
EIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,098 for Illinois Poly Sci students per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
Read more about Political Science at EIU
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,462 for illinois poly sci students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Read more about Political Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Western Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 23 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
WIU also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $15,305 for Illinois Poly Sci students per year to attend WIU.
Read more about Political Science at WIU
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 23 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,590 for Illinois Poly Sci students.
Read more about Political Science at Northeastern Illinois University
Dominican University landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,645 for illinois poly sci students per year to attend Dominican U.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Dominican U
With a ranking of #12, Benedictine University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois list. Benedictine U is located in Lisle, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Benedictine U, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine University is $25,698 for illinois poly sci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at Benedictine University
Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,692 for illinois poly sci students per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at Wheaton College Illinois
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $19,470 for illinois poly sci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Olivet Nazarene University
Roosevelt University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. Roosevelt is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
Roosevelt also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $21,678 for Illinois Poly Sci students.
Read full report on Political Science at Roosevelt
Elmhurst University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 11 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Elmhurst also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $20,100 for Illinois Poly Sci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at Elmhurst
Illinois College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students list, Illinois College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $18,271 for illinois poly sci students.
Full Illinois College Political Science Report
McKendree University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $19,956 for Illinois Poly Sci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full McKendree University Political Science Report
North Central College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
North Central also took the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $25,199 for illinois poly sci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at North Central College
DePaul University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 102 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $31,174 for illinois poly sci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full DePaul Political Science Report
Augustana College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students list, Augustana has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,489 for Illinois Poly Sci students per year to attend Augustana College.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at Augustana College
Loyola University Chicago came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 144 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $36,434 for illinois poly sci students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Loyola Chicago Political Science Report
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Lake Forest also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $23,991 for Illinois Poly Sci students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Political Science at Lake Forest
With a ranking of #24, Knox College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois list. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois poly sci students list, Knox has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,548 for illinois poly sci students per year to attend Knox.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Knox College
Northwestern University landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in Illinois ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 140 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Political Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $23,279 for illinois poly sci students per year to attend Northwestern University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Political Science at Northwestern University
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