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2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

116 Ranked Colleges
5,395 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 116 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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 $30-$48k”.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Chicago

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 $30-$48k. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #4 rank 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 $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at U-M

#4

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. 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. It costs about $15,609 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Notre Dame.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Notre Dame

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 363 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 259 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UIUC Political Science & Government Report

#7

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Purdue

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 92 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Political Science & Government Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and 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. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Political Science & Government at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#10

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Richmond, Indiana, this small public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - East is $5,002 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at IU East

#11

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls Political Science & Government Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 UW - La Crosse

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $6,315 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Political Science & Government Report

#14

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 52 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Oberlin also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $11,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Oberlin College

#15

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Green Bay Political Science & Government Report

#16

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Full UW - Stevens Point Political Science & Government Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #17, 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 $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $12,930 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#18

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. 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 $7,628 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Beloit.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Beloit College

#19

Denison University

Granville, Ohio

Denison University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 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 $30-$48k list, Denison has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Denison University is $13,909 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 more about Political Science & Government at Denison

With a ranking of #20, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUE Political Science & Government Report

#21

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 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 $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 42 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,156 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#22

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 12 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,401 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Purdue Northwest

#23

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Political Science & Government Report

#24

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GVSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at GVSU

#25

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 38 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

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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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