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2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

34 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Political Science & Government is the 21st most popular major in the country with 48,597 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,532 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,277 and $22,016 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science and government programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science and government 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 & Government Schools

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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 106 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UChicago

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 #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 259 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. SIUE 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUE has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Political Science & Government Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 & Government at UIC

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SXU

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University Political Science & Government Report

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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%.

Full Illinois State Political Science & Government Report

#9

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Wheaton College Illinois

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $12,350 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at EIU

#11

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $9,771 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UIS

With a ranking of #12, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC Political Science & Government Report

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WIU Political Science & Government Report

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Illinois College

#15

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $18,192 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest College Political Science & Government Report

#16

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 & Government at University of Saint Francis

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $16,903 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 & Government at Elmhurst University

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $20,355 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Augustana Political Science & Government Report

#19

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $17,205 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full Bradley University Political Science & Government Report

#20

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Illinois Wesleyan

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Knox is $16,828 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 & Government at Knox

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Northeastern Illinois University

#23

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $15,184 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full McKendree University Political Science & Government Report

#24

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $17,656 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Millikin University

#25

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dominican University is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $17,060 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Political Science & Government at Dominican University

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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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