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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $48-$75k)

743 Ranked Colleges
41,915 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Political Science is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,740 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 41,915 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 743 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 743 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 159 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,167 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Yale University Political Science Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Harvard has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $3,411 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Harvard

#3

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 131 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $4,150 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 Duke University Political Science Report

#4

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 743 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,134 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Williams College.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Williams College

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 121 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,452 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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.

Full Northwestern Political Science Report

#6

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Stanford University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive 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 86%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science at Stanford

#7

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Princeton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Princeton also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $7,576 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Princeton

#8

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

Washington and Lee University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Lexington, Virginia, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Washington and Lee has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,718 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington and Lee.

The low 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Washington and Lee Political Science Report

#9

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#16 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $8,086 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Vanderbilt University

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 255 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Columbia has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,887 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

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 low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Columbia Political Science Report

#11

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 106 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,934 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Chicago

#12

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $11,832 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Washington University in St Louis Political Science Report

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#6 in overall quality

Cornell University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 153 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $11,869 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell Political Science Report

#14

Colby College

Waterville, Maine
Top 10% in overall quality

Colby College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Waterville, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Colby excels when it comes to poly sci quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colby is $5,107 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Colby

#15

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Amherst College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Amherst is a small school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 40 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,219 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Amherst.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science at Amherst College

#16

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#2 in overall quality

Dartmouth College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 129 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,044 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dartmouth.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The 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 96%.

Full Dartmouth College Political Science Report

#17

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#17 in overall quality

Pomona College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $11,811 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at Pomona

#18

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

Wake Forest University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 146 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $12,004 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 full report on Political Science at Wake Forest University

#19

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 158 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $12,752 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Pennsylvania

#20

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
Top 5% in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Johns Hopkins also did well on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $9,049 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at Johns Hopkins

#20

Rice University

Houston, Texas
Top 10% in overall quality

Rice University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Rice excels when it comes to poly sci quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $7,318 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science at Rice University

#22

Bates College

Lewiston, Maine
#21 in overall quality

Bates College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Lewiston, Maine, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Bates did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bates is $14,782 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Bates Political Science Report

#23

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#7 in overall quality

Georgetown University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 230 students in 2019-2020.

Georgetown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,933 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgetown.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 Georgetown University

#24

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
Top 5% in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $11,689 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Brown University Political Science Report

#25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Top 5% in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 320 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

U-M also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at U-M

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#27

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#28

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#30

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#31

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#32

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine
#34

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#35

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#36

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#37

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#38

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#39

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#40

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#41

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#43

Hunter College

New York, New York
#44

Baruch College

New York, New York
#45

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#50

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
52 Haverford College Haverford, PA
53 Queens College Queens, NY
54 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
55 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
56 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
57 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
58 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
59 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
60 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
61 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
62 Emory University Atlanta, GA
63 The City College of New York New York, NY
64 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
65 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
Rank College Location
66 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
67 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
68 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
69 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
70 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
71 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
72 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
73 Barnard College New York, NY
74 Trinity College Hartford, CT
75 Connecticut College New London, CT
76 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
77 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
77 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
79 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
80 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
81 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
82 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
83 Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY
84 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
85 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
86 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
87 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
88 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
89 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
90 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
Rank College Location
91 University of Georgia Athens, GA
92 Iowa State University Ames, IA
93 Northeastern University Boston, MA
94 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
95 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
96 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
97 Lehman College Bronx, NY
98 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO
99 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
100 University of Houston Houston, TX
101 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
102 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
103 Tufts University Medford, MA
104 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
105 Smith College Northampton, MA
106 The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Odessa, TX
107 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
108 University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH
109 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
110 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
111 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
112 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL

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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