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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in Virginia (With Aid)

22 Ranked Colleges
1,457 Degrees Awarded
$22,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

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 in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 46,740 people earned their degree in political science, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States.

Across Virginia, there were 1,551 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,457 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the political science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in Virginia (With Aid)

#1

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at William & Mary

#2

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 112 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $20,397 for virginia 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 97%. 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%.

Full University of Virginia Political Science Report

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

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

Read more about Political Science at James Madison University

#4

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #4 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 194 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Virginia 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 93%. 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 more about Political Science at Virginia Tech

#5

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington and Lee University landed the #5 spot on the list. Washington and Lee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $22,615 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Political Science at Washington and Lee

#6

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

Radford University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Radford, Virginia, this fairly large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Radford also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,447 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Radford University.

Read more about Political Science at Radford

#7

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Emory and Henry College is a small school located in Emory, Virginia that handed out 8 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $18,593 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Emory & Henry College.

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.

Full Emory and Henry College Political Science Report

#8

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Old Dominion University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Old Dominion has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Old Dominion is $16,493 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at Old Dominion University

#9

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

University of Richmond ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. University of Richmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 52 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, URichmond has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $25,838 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full URichmond Political Science Report

#10

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school handed out 186 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $22,021 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 more about Political Science at VCU

#11

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

Christopher Newport University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school handed out 77 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

CNU also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $25,596 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Christopher Newport University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Political Science at Christopher Newport University

#12

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Bridgewater, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Bridgewater has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,929 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Bridgewater College.

Read more about Political Science at Bridgewater College

#13

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. University of Mary Washington is a small public school situated in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It awarded 47 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UMW also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary Washington is $21,907 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Mary Washington

#14

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Longwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Longwood is located in Farmville, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Longwood, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Longwood is $19,462 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at Longwood University

#15

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

Randolph - Macon College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Ashland, Virginia, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,370 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Randolph - Macon.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science at Randolph - Macon

#16

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Marymount is located in Arlington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Marymount also took the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Marymount University is $26,078 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Marymount

#17

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

Virginia State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia State is a small public school situated in Petersburg, Virginia. It awarded 10 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Virginia State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State is $16,970 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Read more about Political Science at Virginia State University

#18

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

Roanoke College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roanoke is a small school located in Salem, Virginia that handed out 15 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Roanoke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $25,135 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Roanoke.

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%.

Read more about Political Science at Roanoke

#19

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#20 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. VWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VWU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Wesleyan University is $23,425 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Full Virginia Wesleyan University Political Science Report

#20

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lynchburg, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $23,207 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend University of Lynchburg.

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 University of Lynchburg Political Science Report

#21

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 137 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Liberty University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $28,903 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Read full report on Political Science at Liberty University

#22

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Hampden - Sydney College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

Hampden - Sydney also took the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $31,227 for virginia bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend Hampden - Sydney.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Hampden - Sydney

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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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