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2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (With Aid)

593 Ranked Colleges
49,282 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 593 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (With Aid)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 423 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to political science quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,017 for Political Science students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UW Seattle

2

Out of the 593 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 360 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to political science quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for political science students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UNC Chapel Hill

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 593 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 407 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,135 for political science students with aid per year to attend University of Florida.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 UF Political Science & Government Report

4
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 141 students in 2020-2021.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $15,296 for political science students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Yale

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,894 for political science students with aid per year to attend Stanford.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Stanford University

6
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 157 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

Harvard also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $13,872 for political science students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard Political Science & Government Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 713 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our political science students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for Political Science students with aid.

The undergrad 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Los Angeles

8
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

With a ranking of #8, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,469 for Political Science students with aid per year to attend Queens College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at QC

9

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 102 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,302 for political science students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Cal State LA

10
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Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 105 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,158 for political science students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Hunter

11

John Jay College of Criminal Justice came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for John Jay is $2,699 for Political Science students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

12
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Baruch is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $2,264 for Political Science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Baruch College

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 257 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UIUC also did well on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,321 for Political Science students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

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 undergrad 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

14

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 447 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison excels when it comes to political science quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Political Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 135 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for Political Science students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Purdue University - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report

16

The City College of New York ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. CCNY is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $2,805 for political science students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CCNY Political Science & Government Report

17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 285 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $14,878 for political science students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Political Science & Government Report

18

University of California - San Diego ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 469 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It costs about $15,240 for political science students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Political Science & Government Report

19
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #19, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 513 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $9,946 for Political Science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida State University Political Science & Government Report

20

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 189 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for Political Science students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of South Florida - Main Campus

21
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 38 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

Williams also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $23,497 for political science students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Williams College

22

University of California - Irvine ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 361 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UC Irvine is in the top on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $12,209 for Political Science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full UC Irvine Political Science & Government Report

23

University of California - Berkeley landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 537 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for political science students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley

24

University of California - Davis landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 328 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Davis also did well on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $15,768 for political science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.

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

25
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 108 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Princeton also took the #21 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton University is $9,836 for Political Science students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Princeton University

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
28
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
30
31
32
33
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
34
35
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
36
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
45
46
47
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
48
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
49
50
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Political Science Schools For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
52Duke UniversityDurham, NC
53University of DelawareNewark, DE
54University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
55Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
56University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
57University of Missouri - St LouisSaint Louis, MO
58Santa Rosa Junior CollegeSanta Rosa, CA
59The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
60University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
61Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
62York CollegeJamaica, NY
63William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
64Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo, TX
65Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
RankCollegeLocation
66University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
67College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, NY
68Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, NM
69Indiana University - Purdue University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN
70California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
71University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
71University of IowaIowa City, IA
73University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
74University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
75Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
76San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
77University of HoustonHouston, TX
78Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
79Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME
80University of OregonEugene, OR
81University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
82University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
83American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV
84Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA
85Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
86Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
87Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
88Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
89Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ

Notes and References

References

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