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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in Illinois (With Aid)

34 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$18,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that 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.

Across Illinois, there were 1,532 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,277 and $22,016 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 259 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Political Science & Government Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. UIS 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.

UIS also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Political Science & Government Report

#4

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Xavier University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Saint Xavier University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,528 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SXU

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Full Northern Illinois University Political Science & Government Report

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Eastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SIUE

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 121 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

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%. 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-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Northwestern Political Science & Government Report

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Western Illinois University

#10

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend Chicago State University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at CSU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Political Science & Government Report

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of St Francis Political Science & Government Report

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Full Illinois College Political Science & Government Report

#16

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. River Forest, 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 8 students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Dominican U

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, Elmhurst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Elmhurst

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, Augustana has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Augustana College

#19

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Political Science & Government Report

#20

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Concordia University, Chicago

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Olivet Nazarene University

#22

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Millikin University

#23

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McKendree University is $19,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Read more about Political Science & Government at McKendree

#24

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 106 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $27,315 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Chicago Political Science & Government Report

#25

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Knox, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $22,292 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

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

Full Knox College Political Science & Government Report

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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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