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

68 Ranked Colleges
2,262 Degrees Awarded
$10,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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 the Plains States region, there were 2,385 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,521 and $23,503 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,262 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 68 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the political science and government program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 91 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $5,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Washington University in St Louis Political Science & Government Report

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 261 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UMN Twin Cities

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,230 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Morris.

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 University of Minnesota - Morris Political Science & Government Report

#4

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Truman State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Truman State University is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Truman State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,564 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Truman State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Truman State

Out of the 68 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - 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 political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UMN Duluth

#6

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St Olaf College is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

St. Olaf also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Olaf is $12,459 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at St. Olaf

Iowa State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa State Political Science & Government Report

#8

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grinnell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grinnell, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Grinnell also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $11,945 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grinnell College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grinnell Political Science & Government Report

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 149 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 & Government at Mizzou

#10

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

With a ranking of #10, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $10,688 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Saint Cloud State University

#11

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNI has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $10,757 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Political Science & Government Report

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $11,524 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at North Dakota State University

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school awarded 85 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $12,216 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#14

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 143 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Iowa

#15

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Macalester, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,158 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Macalester.

The impressive 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Macalester College

#16

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $10,632 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bemidji State University

#17

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $11,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Political Science & Government at University of North Dakota

#18

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus College is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Gustavus Adolphus also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $12,150 for plains states 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 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Gustavus Adolphus Political Science & Government Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNOMAHA is $10,490 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UNOMAHA

#20

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,401 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMSL.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Political Science & Government Report

#21

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winona State is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $12,381 for Plains States Region 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 Winona State University

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,057 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

The 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 more about Political Science & Government at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#23

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. SJU is located in Collegeville, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SJU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Johns University is $14,683 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Saint Johns University

Fort Hays State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FHSU is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 30 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FHSU is $9,464 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at FHSU

Missouri Southern State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern State University is $7,882 for plains states region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Missouri Southern State 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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