2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
85
Ranked Colleges
5,677
Degrees Awarded
$8,300
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 47,549 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,677 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 85 colleges that offered a degree in political science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science programs, but they also cost less that 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools
The poly sci school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 85 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 139 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,500 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 100%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Chicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Northwestern University Political Science Report
Out of the 85 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 285 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science at UW - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 257 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $4,858 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Political Science Report
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 135 students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at Purdue
University of Notre Dame came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 204 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,872 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science at University of Notre Dame
With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 141 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at IU Bloomington
With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 277 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 152 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Michigan State University Political Science Report
Oberlin College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,756 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin College.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Oberlin
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,517 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Political Science at UW - La Crosse
Kenyon College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kenyon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Gambier, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Kenyon also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Kenyon is $14,958 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Kenyon College Political Science Report
Beloit College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Beloit is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 13 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,970 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Beloit College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Political Science at Beloit
Miami University - Oxford landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 195 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Miami University - Oxford
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,438 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 100 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also took the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,549 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UIC Political Science Report
DePauw University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Greencastle, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
DePauw also made our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $19,503 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePauw University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Political Science at DePauw
Wabash College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and it awarded 20 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wabash has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wabash is $16,637 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Political Science at Wabash
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Ball State
University of Southern Indiana landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USI is a medium-sized school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 22 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,815 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at USI
Oakland University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 44 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Political Science at Oakland University
Purdue University Northwest ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 11 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $6,775 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Political Science at Purdue University Northwest
Indiana State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Terre Haute, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $10,104 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Indiana State Political Science Report
