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2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

130 Ranked Colleges
11,287 Degrees Awarded
$6,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 11,287 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,164 and $24,347 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 130 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 136 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $371 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. The undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Duke University

2
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 98 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $3,176 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

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%. 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. 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 Vanderbilt

3
Washington and Lee crest
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington and Lee University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington and Lee University is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Washington and Lee also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $205 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Washington and Lee

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 407 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UF

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 360 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $3,753 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

6
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 125 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Wake Forest University also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $10,401 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Wake Forest University

7
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $5,972 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at William & Mary

8
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 513 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for southeast region 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 95%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Florida State

9
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 114 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 189 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, USF Tampa has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,176 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report

11
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 242 students in 2020-2021.

UGA also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,303 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

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

Full University of Georgia Political Science & Government Report

12
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.

Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,538 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Emory University

13
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 200 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,934 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Virginia Tech

14

With a ranking of #14, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 345 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $3,196 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full FIU Political Science & Government Report

15

University of Central Florida landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 381 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UCF is in the top on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $4,468 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCF Political Science & Government Report

16
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k list, URichmond has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $8,010 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Richmond Political Science & Government Report

17

Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution located in Charleston, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,451 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Citadel Military College of South Carolina Political Science & Government Report

18

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 184 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville also took the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,433 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Political Science & Government Report

19
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,283 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NC State.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at North Carolina State University

20

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 164 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Louisiana State University also did well on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University is $11,318 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Louisiana State University

21
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. FAU is a public institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 169 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend FAU is $6,726 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full FAU Political Science & Government Report

22
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 96 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $4,367 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UNF

23

The University of West Florida ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 22 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $4,288 for southeast region political science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UWF

24
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #24, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 123 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,354 for Southeast Region Political Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Appalachian State

25

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 200 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofSC, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $12,130 for southeast region 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 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full UofSC Political Science & Government Report

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