Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Political Science & Government

Find Schools Near

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

165 Ranked Colleges
8,332 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Political Science & Government is the 21st most popular major in the country with 48,597 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 9,243 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,348 and $24,262 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,332 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 165 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science and government program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The political science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. 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 the Middle Atlantic 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 Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

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

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 158 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $4,833 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UPenn

#2

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Out of the 165 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #2 spot on the list. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 153 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $7,518 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Cornell

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 255 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,287 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Political Science & Government Report

#4

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 165 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 70 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $2,044 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Princeton University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Princeton University

#5

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Swarthmore College is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 39 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Swarthmore, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $8,701 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Swarthmore College

#6

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #6, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 39 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $8,210 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

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. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Johns Hopkins University

#7

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

Colgate University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Colgate University is located in Hamilton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colgate University is $8,958 for middle atlantic 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. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Colgate University Political Science & Government Report

#8

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 280 students in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $8,678 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Georgetown

#9

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#15 in overall quality

Hamilton College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hamilton College is located in Clinton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Hamilton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hamilton College is $11,385 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 Hamilton Political Science & Government Report

#10

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Haverford is a small school located in Haverford, Pennsylvania that handed out 28 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Haverford, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Haverford College is $6,498 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Haverford Political Science & Government Report

#11

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,394 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hunter College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Hunter College

#12

Baruch College

New York, New York

With a ranking of #12, Baruch College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 81 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $4,201 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Baruch

John Jay College of Criminal Justice ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. John Jay is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 112 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,108 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Read more about Political Science & Government at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

#14

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Queens College is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 118 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,056 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend QC.

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%.

Full QC Political Science & Government Report

#15

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $2,947 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at CCNY

#16

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Easton, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 85 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Lafayette also took the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $11,360 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Lafayette College

#17

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 56 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,898 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Political Science & Government at Brooklyn College

#18

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 360 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $12,128 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Political Science & Government Report

#19

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lehman is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,289 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Lehman College

#20

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Bryn Mawr College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Bryn Mawr also did well on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,007 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bryn Mawr College.

The 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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bryn Mawr

#21

Barnard College

New York, New York

Barnard College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Barnard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $9,884 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Barnard College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Barnard

#22

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Dickinson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson is $12,662 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Dickinson Political Science & Government Report

#23

York College

Jamaica, New York

York College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. York is a medium-sized school located in Jamaica, New York that handed out 14 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for York College is $3,967 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full York Political Science & Government Report

#24

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 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 36 students in 2019-2020.

Lehigh also took the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh is $13,363 for Middle Atlantic 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Lehigh University

#25

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gettysburg, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gettysburg College is $14,029 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Gettysburg

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You