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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

33 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$21,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 Illinois, there were 1,532 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 33 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 121 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $16,784 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 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%. 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.

Read more about Political Science at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 106 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $17,929 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 full report on Political Science at University of Chicago

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 259 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,998 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Political Science Report

#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,342 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read full report on Political Science at UIS

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,425 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University Political Science Report

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,457 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SXU.

Read full report on Political Science at SXU

#10 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 72 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $20,270 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Political Science Report

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $19,147 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science at Eastern Illinois University

#9

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 17 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $24,299 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 90%. 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 Wheaton College Illinois Political Science Report

#18 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $18,928 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science at SIUE

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $20,698 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Political Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $20,181 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Political Science at Western Illinois University

#13

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $20,629 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of St Francis

#14

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,379 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Illinois State University

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Political Science at Northeastern Illinois University

#16

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,820 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science at Concordia University, Chicago

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Dominican University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $21,979 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Full Dominican University Political Science Report

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $23,486 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Read full report on Political Science at Millikin University

#19

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. McKendree University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $23,434 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Political Science at McKendree

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,730 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 Augustana

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Knox College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $23,813 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 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 Knox

#22

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $19,711 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science at Illinois College

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $23,604 for illinois bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low 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%.

Read more about Political Science at Elmhurst

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $21,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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%.

Read more about Political Science at Olivet Nazarene

#25

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 17 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,778 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend North Central College.

The school has an impressive 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 North Central College

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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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