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2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

744 Ranked Colleges
41,915 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 744 colleges that offered a degree in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science programs that also have a lower cost than 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

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 For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (With Aid)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 744 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Yale has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $17,549 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

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%. 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.

Full Yale University Political Science Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 10% in overall quality

Out of the 744 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 339 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,352 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Political Science Report

#3

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 129 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,490 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Hunter

#4

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baruch College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Baruch College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $3,562 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Baruch

Top 10% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 263 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW Seattle is in the top on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,297 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Political Science Report

#6

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 362 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend UF.

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

Full UF Political Science Report

#7

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 102 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $15,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Political Science at Harvard University

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 112 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $2,532 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at John Jay

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 95 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Cal State LA

#10

Queens College

Queens, New York

With a ranking of #10, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Queens College is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at QC

#11

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Full CCNY Political Science Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 259 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UIUC also did well on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid 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 low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 UIUC

#14

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 34 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $1,814 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Full Lehman College Political Science Report

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 363 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison excels when it comes to poly sci quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Political Science Report

Texas A&M International University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 24 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $3,074 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at Texas A&M International University

#17

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#9 in overall quality

Stanford University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 57 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,496 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Stanford.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at Stanford University

#18

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
Top 10% in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 692 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCLA is also in the top of our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. 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 University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 University of California - Los Angeles Political Science Report

#19

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #19, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,683 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Brooklyn College

#20

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Top 5% in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 320 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

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. It costs about $15,336 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at U-M

#21

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#24 in overall quality

Princeton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton is $11,317 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Political Science at Princeton University

#22

York College

Jamaica, New York

With a ranking of #22, York College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. York is a medium-sized public school situated in Jamaica, New York. It awarded 14 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend York is $3,433 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at York

California State University - Fullerton came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at Cal State Fullerton

#24

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Amherst College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Amherst has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Amherst College is $18,524 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Political Science at Amherst College

With a ranking of #25, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,092 for bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend UT Permian Basin.

Full UT Permian Basin Political Science Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

#28

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#31

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#35

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#37

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#38

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana
#41

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#44

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#46

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#47

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#48

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#50

Colby College

Waterville, Maine

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

Rank College Location
51 Williams College Williamstown, MA
52 University of North Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX
53 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
54 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
55 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA
56 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
57 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
58 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
59 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
60 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
61 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
62 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
63 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
64 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
65 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
Rank College Location
66 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
67 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
67 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
69 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
70 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
71 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
72 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
73 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
74 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
75 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
76 Augusta University Augusta, GA
77 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
78 University of Georgia Athens, GA
79 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
80 Rice University Houston, TX
81 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
82 Iowa State University Ames, IA
83 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
84 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
85 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
86 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
87 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
87 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
89 University of Houston Houston, TX
90 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
Rank College Location
91 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN
92 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
93 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
94 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
94 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
96 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
97 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
98 East Central University Ada, OK
99 Duke University Durham, NC
100 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
101 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
102 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
103 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
104 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
105 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
106 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
107 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
108 University of Mississippi University, MS
109 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
110 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
111 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
112 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC

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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