2027 Best Value Political Science Schools in West Virginia

[Political Science](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-science/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for political science students.
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2027 Best Value Political Science Schools in West Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in political science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Political Science Schools
Marshall University tops our 2027 list of the best value political science schools in West Virginia. Set in the city of Huntington, Marshall University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,162, compared with $20,342 for out-of-state students. Political Science graduates carry a median of $24,233 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from Marshall University generally make around $52,481. Set against $24,233 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Marshall University admits about 96% of applicants.
American Public University System came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value political science schools. Set in the town of Charles Town, American Public University System is a very large private for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $8,400 in tuition and fees. Political Science graduates carry a median of $18,304 in student loans. Political Science graduates of American Public University System earn a median of $63,036 early in their careers. Set against $18,304 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at West Virginia University earned it the #3 place for political science. Set in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,104, while out-of-state students pay about $28,608. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the political science program here. Political Science graduates of West Virginia University earn a median of $30,286 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. West Virginia University admits about 89% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in political science will find it at University Of Charleston, which ranked #4. University Of Charleston is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charleston. Students from in state pay about $22,617 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,646 to complete the political science program here. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from University Of Charleston generally make around $64,407. Set against $22,646 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.