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

24 Ranked Colleges
1,645 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Virginia, there were 1,740 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,125 and $24,672 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,645 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 24 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science and government program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

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

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Washington and Lee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $4,718 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington and Lee University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Washington and Lee University

#2

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $11,721 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at William & Mary

#3

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $14,671 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report

#4

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Richmond landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $12,923 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend URichmond.

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 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 93%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Richmond

#5

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $19,067 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Virginia Tech Political Science & Government Report

#6

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $19,843 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full JMU Political Science & Government Report

#7

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Emory, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory & Henry College is $17,679 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Emory and Henry College Political Science & Government Report

#8

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 177 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $20,468 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend George Mason University.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at GMU

Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school awarded 186 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, VCU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,868 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend VCU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full VCU Political Science & Government Report

#10

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Christopher Newport University is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 77 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

CNU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Christopher Newport University is $22,134 for Virginia 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Christopher Newport University

#11

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, Radford University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Radford University is a public institution located in Radford, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Radford also took the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $15,546 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Radford University.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Radford University

#12

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Old Dominion University is a public institution located in Norfolk, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Old Dominion not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,958 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Old Dominion.

Full Old Dominion University Political Science & Government Report

#13

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia

Longwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Longwood is located in Farmville, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Longwood not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Longwood is $18,294 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Longwood University

#14

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMW is a small school located in Fredericksburg, Virginia that handed out 47 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UMW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary Washington is $19,203 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full University of Mary Washington Political Science & Government Report

#15

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Randolph - Macon College is located in Ashland, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Randolph - Macon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Randolph - Macon College is $21,529 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Randolph - Macon College Political Science & Government Report

#16

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Bridgewater College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bridgewater College is located in Bridgewater, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bridgewater, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater College is $16,843 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bridgewater College

#17

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Roanoke College is located in Salem, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Roanoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $21,513 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Roanoke College.

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 Roanoke College

#18

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Marymount University is located in Arlington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marymount University is $26,627 for Virginia 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 Marymount Political Science & Government Report

#19

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Hampden - Sydney College is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Hampden - Sydney also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $27,862 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hampden - Sydney.

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%. 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.

Full Hampden - Sydney College Political Science & Government Report

#20

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Petersburg, Virginia, this small public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Virginia State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $18,899 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Virginia State.

Full Virginia State University Political Science & Government Report

#21

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Virginia Beach, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

VWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $24,294 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend VWU.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Virginia Wesleyan University

#22

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lynchburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 3 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lynchburg has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lynchburg is $20,403 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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.

Full Lynchburg Political Science & Government Report

#23

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #23, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 137 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Liberty University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $27,831 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Liberty University.

Full Liberty University Political Science & Government Report

#24

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#24 in overall quality

Regent University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Regent not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Regent is $15,865 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Regent

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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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