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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in the Great Lakes Region

22 Ranked Colleges
122 Degrees Awarded
$32,800 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 45,964 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,552 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 122 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,470 and $126,402 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in political science. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in political science.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region doctor’s degree poly sci students.

Top 22 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in the Great Lakes Region

1
Hillsdale College crest
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hillsdale College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region. Hillsdale College is a small school located in Hillsdale, Michigan that handed out 2 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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.

Read full report on Political Science at Hillsdale College

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.

Full University of Chicago Political Science Report

3
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 8 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Notre Dame Political Science Report

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Political Science Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science at Indiana University - Bloomington

6
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Loyola University Chicago Political Science Report

7
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #7, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Wayne State University

8

Northern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 2 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Northern Illinois University

9

With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Political Science Report

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science at Michigan State University

11

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Political Science Report

12

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s poly sci degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Political Science Report

13

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Political Science Report

14

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Kent State University at Kent Political Science Report

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 8 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Purdue University - Main Campus

16

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

17

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 4 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at University of Illinois at Chicago

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Political Science Report

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Western Michigan University

18

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SIUC Political Science Report

18

Miami University - Oxford ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 184 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at Miami University - Oxford

18

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 26 doctorate’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at Case Western

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