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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

59 Ranked Colleges
1,782 Degrees Awarded
$14,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

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 a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 46,740 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 1,836 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,782 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 158 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $4,833 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Pennsylvania

#2

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Swarthmore College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $8,701 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Swarthmore Political Science Report

#3

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Haverford College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It awarded 28 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Haverford also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $6,498 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Haverford.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 88%.

Full Haverford College Political Science Report

#4

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $11,360 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lafayette College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 87%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Political Science at Lafayette College

#5

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bryn Mawr College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

Bryn Mawr not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Bryn Mawr College is $9,007 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Bryn Mawr Political Science Report

#6

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

Dickinson College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Dickinson also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson is $12,662 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Political Science at Dickinson

#7

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

Lehigh University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Lehigh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $13,363 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehigh.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 91%.

Read more about Political Science at Lehigh University

#8

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Gettysburg College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Gettysburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Gettysburg is $14,029 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Gettysburg

#9

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Franklin and Marshall is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It awarded 50 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Franklin and Marshall not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $12,000 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Franklin and Marshall.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Franklin and Marshall Political Science Report

#10

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pitt Johnstown is a small public school situated in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $16,998 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Full Pitt Johnstown Political Science Report

#11

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $16,252 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

#12

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pitt Greensburg is $14,602 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Greensburg Political Science Report

#13

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lycoming is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lycoming College is $14,089 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science at Lycoming

#14

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

SRU also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $15,470 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Political Science at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#15

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Reading, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Albright College is $15,867 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science at Albright

#12 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 186 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,011 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pitt.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Pitt

#17

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Saint Vincent College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Vincent is located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Saint Vincent also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Saint Vincent is $14,915 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Saint Vincent College

#18

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #18, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school situated in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 46 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $17,966 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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 85%.

Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Political Science Report

#19

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #19, Westminster College Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. New Wilmington, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,505 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Westminster College Pennsylvania.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Westminster New Wilmington

#20

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Etown is $20,837 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 89%.

Read more about Political Science at Etown

#21

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

Susquehanna University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Susquehanna also took the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Susquehanna University is $19,548 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Susquehanna

#22

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edinboro is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $13,986 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Edinboro Political Science Report

#23

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,232 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Full Bloomsburg Political Science Report

#24

Allegheny College

Meadville, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Allegheny College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Meadville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Allegheny College is $16,523 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a 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 student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Allegheny

#25

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Temple University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 137 students in 2019-2020.

Temple also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $18,879 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at Temple

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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