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

60 Ranked Colleges
1,830 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 48,597 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. 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 Pennsylvania, there were 1,897 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,459 and $25,260 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,830 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 60 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.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

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 Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 158 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $12,752 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Pennsylvania

#2

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Swarthmore College landed the #2 spot on the list. Swarthmore College is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 39 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Swarthmore has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $13,744 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Swarthmore College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Swarthmore College Political Science & Government Report

#3

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lafayette College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k. Lafayette College is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 85 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $17,121 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Lafayette College

#4

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Haverford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Haverford is $8,516 for pennsylvania 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 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Full Haverford Political Science & Government Report

#5

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehigh University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k. This medium-sized school is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Lehigh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $19,924 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lehigh University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Lehigh University

#6

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Gettysburg is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Gettysburg also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Gettysburg College is $16,918 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Full Gettysburg Political Science & Government Report

#7

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Franklin and Marshall College is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Franklin and Marshall also took the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,263 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Franklin and Marshall College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 Franklin and Marshall

#8

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #8, Dickinson College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dickinson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It awarded 55 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Dickinson has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,152 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dickinson College.

The 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Dickinson College

#9

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Bryn Mawr College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Bryn Mawr also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bryn Mawr is $18,848 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Bryn Mawr Political Science & Government Report

#10

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mansfield University is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $20,302 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Mansfield University Political Science & Government Report

#11

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Bucknell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Bucknell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bucknell is $30,416 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. The 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 more about Political Science & Government at Bucknell

#12

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Saint Vincent College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Saint Vincent not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,727 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Vincent College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Saint Vincent

#13

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

SRU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,459 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SRU

#14

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,014 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Albright.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Albright College

#15

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Westminster College Pennsylvania ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Westminster College Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Westminster College Pennsylvania is $18,575 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Westminster New Wilmington

#16

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Muhlenberg is a small school located in Allentown, Pennsylvania that handed out 26 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Muhlenberg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Muhlenberg is $24,785 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Full Muhlenberg Political Science & Government Report

#17

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $21,156 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WCUPA.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Political Science & Government Report

#18

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg is a small public school situated in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 5 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Greensburg is $17,973 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%.

Full Pitt Greensburg Political Science & Government Report

#19

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Johnstown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Johnstown is $18,925 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

#20

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

Messiah University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Messiah, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,999 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Messiah.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Messiah University

#21

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #21, Elizabethtown College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elizabethtown College is a small school located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania that handed out 15 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Elizabethtown College is $22,453 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Elizabethtown College

#22

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Temple is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 137 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $21,743 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Temple Political Science & Government Report

#23

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in York, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend YCP is $17,909 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at YCP

#24

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Villanova is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Villanova did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova is $30,371 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Villanova University

#25

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lycoming is $16,691 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Lycoming College

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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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