2024 Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Ranked #12 in popularity,
political science & government is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 25 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for political science & government students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,314 bachelor's degrees in political science & government to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School for Your Bachelor's Degree
Your choice of political science & government for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality political science program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to political science & government students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other political science & government students want to attend this school to pursue a bachelor's degree.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How much debt political science & government students go into to obtain their bachelor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized political science & government related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for political science & government students working on their bachelor's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Political Science & Government Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
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Featured Political Science & Government Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Political Science
Gain a solid understanding of American political history, the current political landscape, and the major political parties with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Political Science & Government in Illinois
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science & government.
10 Top Illinois Schools for a Bachelor's in Political Science
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in political science & government needs to look into University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government major at University of Chicago get $12,376 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Chicago
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.
Bachelor's recipients from the political science & government program at Northwestern University get $10,254 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Northwestern University
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in political science & government has to check out University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make around $35,914 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Loyola University Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in political science & government. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the political science program report average early career income of $32,001.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Loyola University Chicago
UIC is a very large public university located in the city of Chicago.
After graduating, political science bachelor's recipients usually make around $31,417 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from University of Illinois at Chicago
Located in the suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Those political science & government students who get their bachelor's degree from Lake Forest College earn $8,924 more than the standard political science graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Lake Forest College
Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, political science bachelor's recipients typically make around $33,733 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Illinois State University
NIU is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
Soon after graduating, political science bachelor's recipients generally earn around $31,084 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Northern Illinois University
Augustana is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Rock Island.
Soon after graduating, political science bachelor's recipients generally earn an average of $34,180 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from Augustana College
Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the political science program state that they receive average early career income of $37,484.
More information about a bachelor’s in political science & government from DePaul University
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