2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (With Aid)
586
Ranked Colleges
47,549
Degrees Awarded
$11,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 47,549 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 586 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science 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 program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 335 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Political Science Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,017 for Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Read more about Political Science at UW Seattle
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 360 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for poly sci students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Political Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 407 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,135 for poly sci students with aid per year to attend UF.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Florida Political Science Report
Out of the 586 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 141 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Yale also made our “Best Political Science Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $15,296 for poly sci students with aid.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Yale University Political Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It costs about $12,894 for Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Stanford University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Political Science at Stanford
Harvard University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 157 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
Harvard also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $13,872 for poly sci students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Harvard Political Science Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 713 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for Poly Sci students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Political Science Report
With a ranking of #8, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for QC is $3,469 for poly sci students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.
Read more about Political Science at QC
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for Poly Sci students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Political Science Report
Hunter College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,158 for poly sci students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Full Hunter College Political Science Report
John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. John Jay is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $2,699 for Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend John Jay.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read more about Political Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
With a ranking of #12, Baruch College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 65 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $2,264 for Poly Sci students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full Baruch Political Science Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 257 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,321 for poly sci students with aid per year to attend UIUC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UIUC Political Science Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 424 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Poly Sci students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UW - Madison Political Science Report
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 135 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,377 for poly sci students with aid per year to attend Purdue.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Political Science at Purdue
The City College of New York landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,805 for poly sci students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at CCNY
With a ranking of #17, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 285 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for poly sci students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full U-M Political Science Report
University of California - San Diego came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 409 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for Poly Sci students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of California - San Diego
Florida State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 513 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State excels when it comes to poly sci quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $9,946 for poly sci students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Florida State Political Science Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 189 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for Poly Sci students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Full USF Tampa Political Science Report
With a ranking of #21, Williams College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 38 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Williams also did well on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $23,497 for Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Williams.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Political Science at Williams
With a ranking of #22, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 361 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Irvine is also in the top of our “Best Political Science Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for Poly Sci students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Irvine Political Science Report
University of California - Berkeley landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 537 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our poly sci students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for Poly Sci students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Berkeley Political Science Report
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 279 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Davis is also in the top of our “Best Political Science Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for Poly Sci students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #25, Princeton University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 108 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton is $9,836 for Poly Sci students with aid.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Princeton Political Science Report
