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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

34 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$32,277 Avg Salary
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Political Science & Government is the 21st most popular major in the country with 48,597 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,532 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,277 and $22,016 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science and government program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 121 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $7,934 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Chicago

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 259 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Political Science & Government Report

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $11,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UIS

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saint Xavier University Political Science & Government Report

#7

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Political Science & Government Report

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,346 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at NIU

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 30 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $13,705 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SIUE Political Science & Government Report

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,560 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Eastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, SIUC has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SIUC

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 87 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Illinois State University

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,912 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at WIU

#14

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 29 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Augustana has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $21,453 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Augustana

#15

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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 University of St Francis

#16

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lake Forest College is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Lake Forest also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $24,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Lake Forest College

#17

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Knox is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox also took the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $19,653 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Knox College

#18

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $19,703 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 Elmhurst University

With a ranking of #19, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Political Science & Government Report

#20

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $14,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Illinois College

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $17,841 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Political Science & Government Report

#22

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $20,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Millikin University

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. North Central College is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 17 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 North Central

#24

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $18,582 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dominican University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Dominican U Political Science & Government Report

#25

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,295 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Concordia University, Chicago

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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