Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Political Science & Government

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in the Plains States Region

8 Ranked Colleges
35 Degrees Awarded
$28,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Doctorate in the Plains States Region” 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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,385 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,521 and $23,503 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 35 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,701 and $106,703 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 8 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Doctorate in the Plains States Region” 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 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 Doctorate in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region doctor’s degree political science students.

Top 8 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in the Plains States Region

#1

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 8 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Dakota landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s political science students in 2019-2020.

USD also made our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at USD are $12,637, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full USD Political Science & Government Report

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 8 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNL are $19,513, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UNL

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Mizzou are $27,193, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Political Science & Government Report

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Political Science & Government Report

#5

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region list. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Kansas are $25,007.

Read more about Political Science & Government at KU

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

University of Iowa ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Iowa are $27,613, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Iowa

#7

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#8 in overall quality

University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region list. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region doctor’s degree political science students list, UMSL has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMSL are $30,154.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Missouri - St Louis

#8

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Washington University in St Louis Political Science & Government Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You