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2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

46 Ranked Colleges
2,088 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 49,282 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 46 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. 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 in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 154 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 95%. The undergraduate 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Pennsylvania

2
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Haverford, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Haverford College is $9,272 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 88%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Haverford

3
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

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 $30-$48k. Swarthmore College is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Swarthmore has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $4,012 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Swarthmore.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Swarthmore

4
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #4 spot on the list. Easton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

Lafayette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $12,400 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lafayette.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Lafayette

5
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dickinson College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. Dickinson College is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Dickinson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson College is $12,027 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Political Science & Government at Dickinson College

6
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Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. 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 $30-$48k list, Franklin and Marshall has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $13,110 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Franklin and Marshall College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Franklin and Marshall College

7
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Gettysburg has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gettysburg College is $13,799 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Full Gettysburg College Political Science & Government Report

8
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Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bucknell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucknell, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bucknell University is $28,153 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Bucknell University Political Science & Government Report

9
Lycoming crest
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Williamsport, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Lycoming also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lycoming is $12,949 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Political Science & Government at Lycoming College

10
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Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 133 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Villanova has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $26,460 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Villanova University.

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%. 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 University

11
Saint Vincent crest
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Saint Vincent College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Latrobe, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Saint Vincent has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $17,606 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Saint Vincent.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Saint Vincent College

12
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Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg Area Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Harrisburg Area Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 6 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Harrisburg Area Community College is $10,425 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full HACC Political Science & Government Report

13
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Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Muhlenberg College is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Muhlenberg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,330 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Muhlenberg.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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.

Full Muhlenberg College Political Science & Government Report

14
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Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 153 students in 2020-2021.

Temple did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $19,355 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Temple University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Temple

15

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 207 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Pitt has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $17,691 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Pitt

16
Allegheny crest
Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Allegheny College is a small school located in Meadville, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Allegheny also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $18,748 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Allegheny College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Allegheny Political Science & Government Report

17
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #17, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 21 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $15,507 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Political Science & Government Report

18

With a ranking of #18, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 23 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg is $16,956 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bloomsburg

19
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Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,822 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Albright College.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Albright

20
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West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. WCUPA is a fairly large school located in West Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 47 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

WCUPA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,325 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

21

York College of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. York College of Pennsylvania is located in York, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,893 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend YCP.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at York College of Pennsylvania

22
W&J crest
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. W&J is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, Pennsylvania. It awarded 11 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

W&J also took the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,570 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend W&J.

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

Full Washington & Jefferson College Political Science & Government Report

23
Susquehanna crest
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Susquehanna is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Susquehanna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,710 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Susquehanna University.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Susquehanna University

24

With a ranking of #24, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edinboro is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $13,001 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Political Science & Government Report

25

California University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. California University of Pennsylvania is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,063 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California University of Pennsylvania

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