2027 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Maine
[Political Science & Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong political science & government education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for political science & government students.
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2027 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Maine
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in political science & government, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Political Science & Government Schools
For return on investment in political science & government, no school beat Bowdoin College this year. Set in the town of Brunswick, Bowdoin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,832. Students borrow a median of $19,634 to complete the political science & government program here. Political Science & Government graduates of Bowdoin College earn a median of $60,626 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 7%.
University Of Southern Maine is a great value for students pursuing a degree in political science & government, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Southern Maine is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Portland. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,090, with out-of-state students paying around $29,940. Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $19,212 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from University Of Southern Maine generally make around $28,589. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Southern Maine admits about 79% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Colby College one of the best values for political science & government. Colby College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Waterville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,600. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $27,000. Political Science & Government graduates of Colby College earn a median of $54,353 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 7% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Maine is a great value for students pursuing a degree in political science & government, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,326, with out-of-state students paying around $36,756. Students borrow a median of $26,798 to complete the political science & government program here. Early-career political science & government graduates make about $38,235. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Maine admits about 97% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in political science & government will find it at Bates College, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Lewiston, Bates College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $66,590. Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $11,532 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from Bates College generally make around $41,055. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 13%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
