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

188 Ranked Colleges
1,850 Degrees Awarded
$45,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master's 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. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,850 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 188 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science and government. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science and government programs and cost less that 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

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 for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. 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 for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

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

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

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 188 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale also made our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Yale University Political Science & Government Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Harvard University Political Science & Government Report

#3

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 188 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 25 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Duke Political Science & Government Report

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 89 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Johns Hopkins University

#5

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Princeton

#6

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Northwestern University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 13 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Northwestern University

#7

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#10 in overall quality

Stanford University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Stanford University

#5 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 42 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Columbia

#9

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#16 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 4 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Vanderbilt University Political Science & Government Report

#10

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#13 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 5 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at WUSTL

#11

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

University of Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.

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

#12

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#23 in overall quality

Rice University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 7 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice are $47,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Rice

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 10 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Cornell

#14

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, UPenn has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Pennsylvania

#15

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown University are $53,591.

Full Georgetown University Political Science & Government Report

#16

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#17 in overall quality

Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Brown University is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 9 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Brown has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Brown University Political Science & Government Report

#17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified masters’s political science students in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#18

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 8 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Notre Dame

#19

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #19, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UF

#20

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 20% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue is also in the top of our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue Political Science & Government Report

#21

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Political Science & Government Report

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#23

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Los Angeles

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 1 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Madison

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rest of the Best 29 in Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 29 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#28

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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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