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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

34 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$13,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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 Illinois, there were 1,532 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,277 and $22,016 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered 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.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $3,995 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northwestern University Political Science & Government Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 106 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,800 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Chicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 259 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for illinois 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 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Political Science & Government Report

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $9,938 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #5 spot on the list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 19 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $8,323 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UIS Political Science & Government Report

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 University of Illinois at Chicago

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, SXU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,962 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at SXU

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $11,316 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full EIU Political Science & Government Report

#9

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full NIU Political Science & Government Report

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Political Science & Government at Illinois State University

#11

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Knox, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $19,186 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Knox College

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

WIU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $14,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WIU.

Full Western Illinois University Political Science & Government Report

With a ranking of #13, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUC.

Full SIUC Political Science & Government Report

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $11,229 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of St Francis Political Science & Government Report

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,454 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois College.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Illinois College

#16

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 17 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The school has an impressive 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 90%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Political Science & Government Report

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 17 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $19,152 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Lake Forest

With a ranking of #18, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Northeastern Illinois University

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,837 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst Political Science & Government Report

#20

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dominican U has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,586 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Dominican U

#21

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bradley

#22

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 more about Political Science & Government at Augustana College

#23

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $19,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Political Science & Government Report

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $15,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Olivet Nazarene University Political Science & Government Report

#25

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,406 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Concordia University, Chicago

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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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