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2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

30 Ranked Colleges
1,933 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 48,597 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. 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 Massachusetts, there were 1,933 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,440 and $22,303 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science and government programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 154 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,973 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Harvard University Political Science & Government Report

#2

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #2 spot on the list. Williams is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 70 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $2,498 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Williams

#3

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Amherst College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Amherst is a small school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 40 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Amherst also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Amherst is $6,079 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Amherst

#4

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 82 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Tufts also took the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $5,267 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts.

The 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. The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Tufts University Political Science & Government Report

#5

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wellesley College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wellesley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $8,785 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.5% 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 93%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Wellesley

#6

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 179 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Boston College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $6,353 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at Boston College

#7

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 141 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern University is $10,239 for Massachusetts 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 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northeastern Political Science & Government Report

#8

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 46 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Smith is $6,075 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Smith

#9

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 111 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Holy Cross has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $15,036 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Holy Cross.

The impressive 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 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 freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Holy Cross Political Science & Government Report

#10

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $12,903 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston U.

The 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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Boston U Political Science & Government Report

#11

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. UMass Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 190 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend UMass Amherst is $13,137 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UMass Amherst

#12

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandeis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Brandeis University is $13,567 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Brandeis University

#13

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mt. Holyoke is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Mt. Holyoke also took the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $12,063 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mount Holyoke College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Mt. Holyoke

#14

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

Westfield State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Westfield, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

Westfield not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $12,672 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Westfield.

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 Westfield

#15

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Lowell, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $11,560 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMass Lowell.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 & Government at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#16

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Fitchburg State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fitchburg State is $11,770 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Fitchburg State

#17

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #17, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a small school located in North Adams, Massachusetts that handed out 7 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,587 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MCLA.

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 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

#18

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Bridgewater State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Bridgewater State University is a public institution located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,332 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bridgewater State.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bridgewater State

#19

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 72 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $13,859 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UMass Boston

#20

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Framingham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Framingham State is $14,612 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Framingham State University

#21

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #21, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 26 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $20,511 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#22

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMass Dartmouth has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $13,925 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth Political Science & Government Report

#23

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #23, Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salem State University is a public institution located in Salem, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Salem State is $14,593 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Salem State Political Science & Government Report

#24

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #24, Clark University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 39 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Clark also took the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clark is $22,734 for massachusetts political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Clark Political Science & Government Report

#25

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts

Simmons University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Simmons University is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 13 ’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Simmons not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Simmons University is $22,999 for Massachusetts Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a 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 student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Simmons University

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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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