Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Political Science & Government

Find Schools Near

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

54 Ranked Colleges
3,641 Degrees Awarded
$8,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 48,597 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. 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 the Southwest region, there were 3,962 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,993 and $20,539 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,641 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The political science 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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 37 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $3,437 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Rice University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Political Science & Government at UT Rio Grande Valley

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M International University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $2,261 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Texas A&M International University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 295 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Political Science & Government Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 361 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,044 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Arizona State University - Tempe

University of North Texas ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 114 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNT has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $8,521 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Texas Political Science & Government Report

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 328 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $12,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Political Science & Government Report

#8

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 205 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

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

Full University of Arizona Political Science & Government Report

Texas Woman’s University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend TWU is $6,706 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full TWU Political Science & Government Report

#10

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $12,317 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech Political Science & Government Report

University of North Texas at Dallas landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNT Dallas is a small school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 5 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,732 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas at Dallas.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UNT Dallas

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at San Antonio is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,516 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UTSA.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#13

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 211 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $10,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UH

#14

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas

Trinity University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Trinity U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,373 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trinity University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full Trinity University Political Science & Government Report

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,669 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Richardson, Texas, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Dallas has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $10,857 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UT Dallas

The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. UT Tyler is a public institution located in Tyler, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,797 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Tyler.

Read more about Political Science & Government at The University of Texas at Tyler

#22 in overall quality

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Permian Basin, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,889 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UT Permian Basin

Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Durant, Oklahoma. It awarded 1 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,102 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#20

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Central University is a small public school situated in Ada, Oklahoma. It awarded 5 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ECU is $7,787 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at East Central University

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school handed out 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $7,092 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of Texas at El Paso Political Science & Government Report

#22

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Angelo State University is a fairly large school located in San Angelo, Texas that handed out 11 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Angelo State is $9,799 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Angelo State University

#23

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 159 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $12,037 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Arizona State University - Skysong

#23

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Texas State University is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 133 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $11,125 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas State.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Texas State University

#24

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Sam Houston State University is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $10,561 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Sam Houston State University Political Science & Government Report

Stephen F Austin State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nacogdoches, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stephen F Austin State University is $8,650 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Stephen F Austin State University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You