2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
85
Ranked Colleges
5,677
Degrees Awarded
$9,400
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 was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 85 colleges that offer 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the political science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 139 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,777 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.
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 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 140 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $917 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Political Science at Northwestern University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read full report on Political Science at U-M
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 424 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,788 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Madison
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. 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.
In addition to being on our great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, Purdue has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,853 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
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 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%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Political Science Report
With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 141 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at IU Bloomington
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 257 ’s degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.
Full UIUC Political Science Report
Kenyon College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gambier, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kenyon, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,974 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Kenyon College.
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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science at Kenyon College
University of Notre Dame came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 204 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $9,136 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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. 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.
Full University of Notre Dame Political Science Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 277 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,581 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus Political Science Report
Beloit College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $8,873 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Beloit
With a ranking of #12, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
It costs about $8,216 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
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%.
Full IUPUI Political Science Report
With a ranking of #13, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin College is $13,745 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. 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.
Read full report on Political Science at Oberlin College
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,351 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
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%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Political Science Report
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 59 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $10,075 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 86%.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Political Science Report
Denison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
Denison also took the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,686 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Denison.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Denison Political Science Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 12 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $9,478 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Political Science Report
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,482 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIS.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at UIS
Oakland University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $8,839 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Oakland University Political Science Report
Michigan State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 152 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $15,170 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Michigan State
Ball State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,786 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ball State University.
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 full report on Political Science at Ball State University
University of Southern Indiana landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a medium-sized school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 22 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $10,440 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at University of Southern Indiana
University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a public institution located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,465 for Great Lakes Region Poly Sci students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of Michigan - Dearborn
Wayne State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 68 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $11,414 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Political Science at Wayne State
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $8,608 for great lakes region poly sci students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Political Science at Purdue Northwest
