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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

89 Ranked Colleges
7,492 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Political Science & Government is the 21st most popular major in the country with 48,597 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 9,831 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,604 and $19,866 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,492 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 89 colleges that offered a degree in political science and government. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science and government programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science and government program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $-1,387 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The low 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Stanford

#2

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Claremont McKenna, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna is $8,566 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Claremont McKenna

#3

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pomona has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,945 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pomona.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Pomona

Out of the 89 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 356 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $7,850 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Out of the 89 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 482 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,392 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UC Berkeley

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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.

UCLA also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Los Angeles

University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 307 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,558 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UC Irvine

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $1,379 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,291 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 California State University - Fullerton Political Science & Government Report

#10

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#10 in overall quality

Pitzer College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitzer has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitzer College is $15,922 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Full Pitzer Political Science & Government Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 247 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UCR

University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 390 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - San Diego

California State University - Fresno ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,264 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Fresno

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 267 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $9,842 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Davis

#15

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 297 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive 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 & Government at University of California - Santa Barbara

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,455 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Long Beach landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 172 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,364 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at CSULB

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,410 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Stanislaus

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 109 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,870 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full SDSU Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 185 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 & Government at California State University - Northridge

#21

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Political Science & Government Report

#22

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $9,334 for far western us region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Wazzu

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 174 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,423 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Bakersfield

#25

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Washington University is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 103 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $9,743 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at WWU

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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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