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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

115 Ranked Colleges
5,395 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 5,852 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,057 and $23,720 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,395 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 115 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 121 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,784 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Northwestern University

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 181 students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,392 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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 University of Notre Dame Political Science & Government Report

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 320 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $18,039 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 U-M Political Science & Government Report

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 106 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,929 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Chicago.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Chicago Political Science & Government Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 73 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $18,565 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Purdue University - Main Campus

#6

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Beloit College is $12,123 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Beloit College

#7

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $16,138 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UW - River Falls

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $16,573 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full UW - La Crosse Political Science & Government Report

#9

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. IU East is a public institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - East is $13,171 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Indiana University - East Political Science & Government Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 26 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $16,604 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UW - Green Bay Political Science & Government Report

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 363 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $21,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UW - Madison

#12

DePauw University

Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Greencastle, Indiana, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

DePauw did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend DePauw University is $23,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at DePauw

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 259 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $21,998 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Political Science & Government Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $17,414 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $17,364 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UW - Whitewater

#16

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $17,342 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UIS Political Science & Government Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 23 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $16,425 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Political Science & Government Report

#18

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 87 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $21,425 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Northern Illinois University Political Science & Government Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 289 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $21,364 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Ohio State

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UW Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $17,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#21

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $18,951 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Indiana University - Bloomington

#22

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Chicago, 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 13 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $18,457 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Saint Xavier University Political Science & Government Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $14,993 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#24

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $16,787 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Purdue University Northwest

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a public institution located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $14,132 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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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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