2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
46
Ranked Colleges
2,088
Degrees Awarded
$14,800
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,088 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,344 and $25,742 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 46 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.
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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 154 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for pennsylvania 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 95%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 UPenn Political Science & Government Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lafayette College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 61 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Lafayette also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for Pennsylvania 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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Lafayette
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 23 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Swarthmore also took the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $4,594 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Swarthmore College.
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 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Swarthmore College Political Science & Government Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 33 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Haverford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Haverford College is $9,357 for pennsylvania 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. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Haverford College
Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Gettysburg College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 71 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gettysburg, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $14,205 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gettysburg College.
Since the school has a undergrad 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 undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Gettysburg
Dickinson College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
Dickinson also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $12,729 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dickinson College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Dickinson College
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Franklin and Marshall is a small school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that handed out 47 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Franklin and Marshall has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall College is $14,017 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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 Franklin and Marshall
Lycoming College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
Lycoming also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $13,045 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lycoming.
The undergrad 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 more about Political Science & Government at Lycoming
Muhlenberg College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Muhlenberg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 22 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Muhlenberg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Muhlenberg is $18,000 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Muhlenberg College
Villanova University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 133 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Villanova not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova University is $24,907 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Villanova
Bucknell University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bucknell is located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
Bucknell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell is $22,722 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Bucknell
Saint Vincent College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Vincent is a private not-for-profit institution located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saint Vincent, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $15,105 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Vincent College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Saint Vincent College
Harrisburg Area Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harrisburg Area Community College is a fairly large school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,741 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harrisburg Area Community College.
Full HACC Political Science & Government Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 207 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitt also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $15,084 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Pitt Political Science & Government Report
Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Temple University is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 153 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $18,173 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Temple University
Allegheny College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Meadville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
Allegheny also took the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Allegheny College is $17,681 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Allegheny
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $14,091 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Political Science & Government Report
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, this fairly large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
WCUPA also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $15,718 for pennsylvania 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Political Science & Government Report
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bloomsburg is a medium-sized public school situated in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $16,112 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Albright College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Albright College is a small school located in Reading, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Albright is $15,448 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Albright Political Science & Government Report
Washington & Jefferson College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Washington, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
W&J not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington & Jefferson College is $20,962 for pennsylvania 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. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full W&J Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #22, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,224 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Full Millersville Political Science & Government Report
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,212 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Edinboro
Susquehanna University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
Susquehanna also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Susquehanna University is $17,040 for Pennsylvania 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Susquehanna University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUP is a public institution located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for IUP is $19,397 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report
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