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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Political Science in the Great Lakes Region

186 Ranked Colleges
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Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 186 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. That schools that top this list have a program in political science in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

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

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Political Science in the Great Lakes Region

1
Hillsdale College crest
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Hillsdale College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Hillsdale, Michigan, and it awarded 46 ’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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 Hillsdale College

2
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Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wabash College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region. This small school is located in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and it awarded 21 ’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Wabash Political Science Report

3

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, The College of Wooster landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Wooster, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The College of Wooster Political Science Report

4
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Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, Ohio

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wilberforce University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Wilberforce, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

Full Wilberforce University Political Science Report

5
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Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kenyon College landed the #5 spot on the list. Kenyon College is a small school located in Gambier, Ohio that handed out 44 ’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 91%. 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 Kenyon College Political Science Report

6
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Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

With a ranking of #6, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Oberlin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 36 ’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science at Oberlin

7
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Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon College ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ripon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ripon, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Political Science at Ripon

8
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Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lawrence University is a small school located in Appleton, Wisconsin that handed out 24 ’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Lawrence University Political Science Report

9
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Albion is a private not-for-profit institution located in Albion, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Albion College Political Science Report

10
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Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Kalamazoo College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. K College is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 17 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Political Science at Kalamazoo College

11
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Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 16 ’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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 Lake Forest

12

Ohio Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Ohio Wesleyan University is located in Delaware, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full Ohio Wesleyan University Political Science Report

13
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 190 ’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 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 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.

Read more about Political Science at Notre Dame

14
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Denison University
Granville, Ohio

Denison University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Denison University Political Science Report

15
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 13 ’s poly sci 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Political Science at Illinois Wesleyan University

16
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #16, Beloit College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 17 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 88%. The undergraduate 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 Beloit

17
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Hiram College
Hiram, Ohio

With a ranking of #17, Hiram College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Hiram, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hiram Political Science Report

18
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Principia College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Principia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elsah, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees 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.

Full Principia Political Science Report

19
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Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana

Saint Mary’s College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. St. Mary’s College is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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.

Read more about Political Science at St. Mary’s College

20
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Alma College
Alma, Michigan

Alma College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Alma is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Alma, Michigan. It awarded 8 ’s poly sci degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Alma

21
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Political Science at Monmouth College

22

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

23
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

Hanover College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Hanover is located in Hanover, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Hanover

24
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DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2021-2022.

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. The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Political Science at DePauw

25
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John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

John Carroll University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. John Carroll is located in University Heights, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 33 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full John Carroll University Political Science Report

Rest of the Best 28 in Schools Highly Focused on Poly Sci Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
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Knox College
Galesburg, IL

Notes and References

References

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