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2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

116 Ranked Colleges
5,395 Degrees Awarded
$7,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 5,852 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,057 and $23,720 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,395 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 116 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science and government. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science and government programs, but they also 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 and government program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The political science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 121 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low 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%.

Full Northwestern Political Science & Government Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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 106 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UChicago Political Science & Government Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 320 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 363 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UW - Madison

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 259 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for great lakes 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 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#6

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 181 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 University of Notre Dame Political Science & Government Report

#7

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Purdue

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #8, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Michigan State University

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at IU Bloomington

With a ranking of #10, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 289 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#11

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

With a ranking of #11, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oberlin has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.

The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Oberlin

#12

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Richmond, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - East is $3,622 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IU East Political Science & Government Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 35 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UW - La Crosse

#14

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for Great Lakes 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%.

Full UW - River Falls Political Science & Government Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at IUPUI

#16

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UW - Whitewater

#17

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Green Bay Political Science & Government Report

#18

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Purdue Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $6,911 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Purdue Northwest Political Science & Government Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#19

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UW - Stevens Point

#21

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Beloit College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%. 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Beloit

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SIUE

#23

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#25

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 16 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at USI

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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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