2027 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in South Carolina
[Political Science & Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 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 South Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the political science & government degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Political Science & Government Schools
For return on investment in political science & government, no school beat University Of South Carolina Upstate this year. Located in the suburb of Spartanburg, University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,588, while out-of-state students pay about $23,090. Students borrow a median of $30,000 to complete the political science & government program here. Political Science & Government graduates of University Of South Carolina Upstate earn a median of $35,798 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Carolina Upstate admits about 67% of applicants.
Coastal Carolina University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value political science & government schools. Located in the city of Conway, Coastal Carolina University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,640 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,628. Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Political Science & Government graduates of Coastal Carolina University earn a median of $29,924 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Coastal Carolina University admits about 75% of applicants.
Winthrop University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value political science & government schools. Set in the city of Rock Hill, Winthrop University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,678, while out-of-state students pay about $28,676. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the political science & government program here. Early-career political science & government graduates make about $21,165. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 79%.
A rank of #4 makes Wofford College one of the best values for political science & government. Wofford College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Spartanburg. Students from in state pay about $56,005 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,825 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from Wofford College generally make around $34,277. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 52%.
A rank of #5 makes College Of Charleston one of the best values for political science & government. College Of Charleston is a large public school located in the city of Charleston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,978, while out-of-state students pay about $38,296. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $26,000. Early-career political science & government graduates make about $35,398. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. College Of Charleston admits about 60% of applicants.
Presbyterian College placed #6 among the best values for political science & government. Located in the town of Clinton, Presbyterian College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,910. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from Presbyterian College generally make around $34,712. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Presbyterian College admits about 68% of applicants.
Citadel Military College Of South Carolina ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value political science & government schools. Set in the city of Charleston, Citadel Military College Of South Carolina is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,570, with out-of-state students paying around $38,508. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $20,817. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from Citadel Military College Of South Carolina generally make around $44,992. Set against $20,817 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 23%.
Clemson University placed #8 among the best values for political science & government. Clemson University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson. In-state tuition and fees average $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,000 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from Clemson University generally make around $28,041. Set against $21,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 38%.
University Of South Carolina Columbia placed #9 among the best values for political science & government. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,688, while out-of-state students pay about $36,298. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Columbia generally make around $33,157. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Furman University placed #10 among the best values for political science & government. Located in the suburb of Greenville, Furman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $59,770. Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Political Science & Government graduates of Furman University earn a median of $34,473 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 43%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
