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

24 Ranked Colleges
1,645 Degrees Awarded
$22,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 48,597 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.

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

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in Virginia (With Aid)

#1

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 182 students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at William & Mary

#2

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $20,397 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia Political Science & Government Report

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

JMU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full JMU Political Science & Government Report

#4

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #4 spot on the list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 194 students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $21,198 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Virginia Tech

#5

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #5 spot on the list. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 177 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, GMU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $21,048 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend George Mason University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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.

Full GMU Political Science & Government Report

#6

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

Washington and Lee University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Washington and Lee University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 53 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $22,615 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend Washington and Lee University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Washington and Lee

#7

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Radford, Virginia, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, Radford has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Radford University is $16,447 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Radford University

#8

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Emory and Henry College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Emory, Virginia. It awarded 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory and Henry College is $18,593 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Emory and Henry College

#9

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Old Dominion University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Old Dominion University is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 60 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Old Dominion also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,493 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend Old Dominion.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Old Dominion University

#10

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. URichmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, URichmond has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $25,838 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at URichmond

#11

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. VCU is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 186 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, VCU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $22,021 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Virginia Commonwealth University

#12

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school awarded 77 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

CNU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $25,596 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend Christopher Newport University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Christopher Newport University Political Science & Government Report

#13

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Bridgewater is a small school located in Bridgewater, Virginia that handed out 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater is $17,929 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Bridgewater College

#14

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

UMW also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $21,907 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend UMW.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Mary Washington

#15

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#24 in overall quality

Regent University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Regent University is a fairly large school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 8 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Regent also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Regent is $15,267 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Regent University

#16

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, Longwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Farmville, Virginia, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Longwood did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Longwood University is $19,462 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

Full Longwood University Political Science & Government Report

#17

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Ashland, Virginia, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $26,370 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend Randolph - Macon College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Randolph - Macon College Political Science & Government Report

#18

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marymount University is a small school located in Arlington, Virginia that handed out 17 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, Marymount has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,078 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend Marymount.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Marymount University

#19

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #19, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia State is a small school located in Petersburg, Virginia that handed out 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,970 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend Virginia State University.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Virginia State University

#20

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, Roanoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Roanoke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke is $25,135 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Roanoke College

#21

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

VWU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for VWU is $23,425 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Virginia Wesleyan University

#22

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Lynchburg also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend University of Lynchburg is $23,207 for Virginia 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.

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

#23

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 137 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Liberty University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $28,903 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Liberty University

#24

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hampden-Sydney, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Hampden - Sydney also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Hampden - Sydney is $31,227 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full Hampden - Sydney 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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