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2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s

761 Ranked Colleges
43,385 Degrees Awarded
$14,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Political Science & Government is the 21st most popular major in the country with 48,597 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 43,385 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 761 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government

Out of the 761 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,322 for bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at BYU

#2

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

Out of the 761 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #2 spot on the list. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,222 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at American Public University System

Out of the 761 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #3 spot on the list. BYU - I is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rexburg, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,167 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Political Science & Government Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $16,584 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University Political Science & Government Report

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

Out of the 761 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

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%.

Full UW - River Falls Political Science & Government Report

Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $13,971 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at ASU - Skysong

#7

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bemidji State University is a small school located in Bemidji, Minnesota that handed out 6 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,868 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Bemidji State University

#8

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

With a ranking of #8, Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Park University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 5 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Park University is $15,579 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

Full Park University Political Science & Government Report

#9

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $12,462 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Truman State

#10

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. 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 $14,580 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - La Crosse Political Science & Government Report

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,092 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UT Permian Basin

#12

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $19,252 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at South Dakota State

Brigham Young University - Hawaii did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Laie, Hawaii is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend BYU - H is $14,051 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Brigham Young University - Hawaii

#14

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #14, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,738 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of North Dakota

#15

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. SRU is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SRU is $19,926 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

Full UW - Green Bay Political Science & Government Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,718 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

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

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $17,067 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Political Science & Government Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Political Science & Government Report

#19

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $2,490 for bachelor’s degree political science students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Hunter

#21

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota

With a ranking of #21, Northern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Northern State University is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,851 for bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend NSU.

Full NSU Political Science & Government Report

#22

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,267 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Saint Cloud State University

#23

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota

With a ranking of #23, University of South Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of South Dakota is located in Vermillion, South Dakota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend USD is $18,555 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at USD

With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 30 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

Full SIUE Political Science & Government Report

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $11,412 for Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Morris Political Science & Government Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s

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

#28

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#29

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#30

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#31

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#32

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana
#33

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#34

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#36

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#37

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#39

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#40

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#42

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#43

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#45

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#46

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#47

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#48

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#49

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#50

SUNY Geneseo

Geneseo, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s

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

Rank College Location
51 East Central University Ada, OK
52 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
53 Florida International University Miami, FL
54 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
55 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
56 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
57 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
58 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
59 Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD
60 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
61 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
62 Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA
63 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
64 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
65 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
Rank College Location
65 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA
67 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
68 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
69 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
70 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
71 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
72 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
73 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
74 Queens College Queens, NY
75 Angelo State University San Angelo, TX
75 Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA
77 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
78 University of North Texas Denton, TX
79 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
80 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
81 Central College Pella, IA
82 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
83 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
84 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
85 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
86 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
87 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
88 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
89 Troy University Troy, AL
90 SUNY Cortland Cortland, NY
Rank College Location
91 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
92 National University La Jolla, CA
92 Colorado State University - Pueblo Pueblo, CO
94 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
95 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
96 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
97 Columbia College Columbia, MO
98 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
99 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
100 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
101 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL
102 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
103 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
104 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
105 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
106 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
107 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
107 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
109 MSU Texas Wichita Falls, TX
110 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
111 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
112 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
113 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
114 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
115 Framingham State University Framingham, MA
Rank College Location
115 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA

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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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