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2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

51 Ranked Colleges
2,307 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States region, there were 2,307 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,104 and $23,948 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 51 colleges that offered a degree in political science and government. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science and government programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

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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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 the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 94 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at WUSTL

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 259 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,609 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UMN Twin Cities

3

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $2,230 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Morris Political Science & Government Report

4

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #4 spot on the list. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 42 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $8,697 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Duluth.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth Political Science & Government Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 134 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,386 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Mizzou

6

Iowa State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $11,427 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 39 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $8,324 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 UMSL Political Science & Government Report

8
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Olaf also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for St. Olaf is $11,138 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at St Olaf College

9
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Truman State University is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 32 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $8,898 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at Truman State University

10
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 136 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Iowa also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $15,508 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Iowa

11
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Grinnell College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Grinnell, Iowa. It awarded 32 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Grinnell has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,671 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Grinnell.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 0.3% 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 Grinnell

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

UNI also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $13,175 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Northern Iowa

13
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #13, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 21 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UND also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $13,151 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of North Dakota

14
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #14, Macalester College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 39 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Macalester also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Macalester College is $10,543 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Macalester College

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,453 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNL.

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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

16

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $10,608 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Northwest Missouri State University

17

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 74 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,294 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 University of Nebraska at Omaha

18
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Gustavus Adolphus also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $16,445 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Gustavus Adolphus Political Science & Government Report

19
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 111 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,288 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Kansas.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Kansas

20
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,825 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Saint Cloud State University

21

North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $12,735 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMKC is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $13,751 for plains states region political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UMKC

23

Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a public institution located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,194 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Moorhead.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

24
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

With a ranking of #24, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $14,653 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full K -State Political Science & Government Report

25
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and it awarded 19 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $11,406 for Plains States Region Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Southeast Missouri State University

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