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2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

132 Ranked Colleges
9,351 Degrees Awarded
$6,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 9,351 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,573 and $23,683 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 132 colleges that offered a degree in political science and government. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science and government programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science and government program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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 Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

1
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Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 156 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for middle atlantic region 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 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Johns Hopkins

2
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 154 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UPenn

3
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Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton University is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 108 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $2,958 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Princeton University Political Science & Government Report

4
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 306 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $3,077 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Georgetown University Political Science & Government Report

5
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Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 166 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $5,244 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Cornell

6

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 296 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Columbia

7
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lafayette College is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 61 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Lafayette also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Lafayette College

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 330 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UMCP also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $6,067 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Maryland - College Park

9
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 23 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Swarthmore also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $4,594 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Swarthmore.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Swarthmore

10
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Haverford College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Haverford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $9,357 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Haverford.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Haverford College

11
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Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $1,344 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full QC Political Science & Government Report

12
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Hunter College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #12, Hunter College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 105 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $396 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Hunter

13
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

With a ranking of #13, Hamilton College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hamilton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Clinton, New York. It awarded 36 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Hamilton also took the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hamilton is $8,810 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Hamilton

14
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Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hamilton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colgate is $10,762 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Colgate Political Science & Government Report

15

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 102 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $788 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

16
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar College is $10,535 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Vassar

17

The City College of New York ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The City College of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $1,254 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The City College of New York.

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%.

Full CCNY Political Science & Government Report

18
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Baruch College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #18, Baruch College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baruch College is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 65 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $493 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baruch College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Baruch College Political Science & Government Report

19
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University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 159 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UD also took the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $13,726 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Delaware.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full UD Political Science & Government Report

20
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Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $881 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lehman College.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Lehman

21
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Barnard College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #21, Barnard College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Barnard College is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 46 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Barnard has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barnard is $20,177 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Barnard College Political Science & Government Report

22
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Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #22, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 62 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at Brooklyn College

23
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, Gettysburg College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gettysburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 71 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,205 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gettysburg College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Gettysburg

24
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George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 506 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

GWU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Washington University is $17,673 for middle atlantic region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full George Washington University Political Science & Government Report

25
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 55 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson College is $12,729 for Middle Atlantic Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 & Government at Dickinson

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