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2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

68 Ranked Colleges
2,255 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,374 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,255 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 68 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science programs and 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. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,832 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

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. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington University in St Louis Political Science Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $7,558 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Minnesota - Morris

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 261 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $12,556 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UMN Twin Cities

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,577 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Olaf.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full St Olaf College Political Science Report

#5

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grinnell College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Grinnell, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grinnell, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell is $12,486 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Grinnell College Political Science Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 149 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Mizzou has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $13,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Political Science Report

#9 in overall quality

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $14,161 for Plains States Region 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 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Iowa State University

#8

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#19 in overall quality

Truman State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, Truman State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Truman State University is $12,031 for Plains States Region 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 88%. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Truman State

#18 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,438 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Duluth.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UMN Duluth

#10

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#23 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 39 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $13,373 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saint Cloud State University Political Science Report

#11

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#11 in overall quality

Macalester College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Macalester, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Macalester.

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 90%. The 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.

Full Macalester College Political Science Report

#12

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $7,894 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science at UMSL

#17 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,686 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Dakota State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

#14

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,729 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 UNI

#24 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school awarded 85 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,197 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNL.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#16

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UND is $15,109 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at UND

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,833 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science at UNOMAHA

#18

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

University of Iowa ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 143 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,272 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Iowa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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 88%.

Full University of Iowa Political Science Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,451 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Minnesota State Mankato

#20

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $14,548 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 88%.

Read more about Political Science at Gustavus Adolphus

#21

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Winona State University is $15,140 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Winona State Political Science Report

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $11,988 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science at Northwest

#23

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

College of Saint Benedict came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. College of Saint Benedict is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Joseph, Minnesota. It awarded 12 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

CSB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,978 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSB.

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 89%.

Full College of Saint Benedict Political Science Report

#24

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

Saint Johns University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Collegeville, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

SJU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,017 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Johns University.

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%.

Full Saint Johns University Political Science Report

Missouri Southern State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Missouri Southern State University is a medium-sized school located in Joplin, Missouri that handed out 5 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $10,124 for plains states region bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science at Missouri Southern State University

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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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