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

24 Ranked Colleges
1,645 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia 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 Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Virginia, there were 1,740 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,125 and $24,672 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,645 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science and government programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. Washington and Lee University is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 53 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Washington and Lee has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee is $2,039 for Virginia 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Washington and Lee

#2

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 182 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, William & Mary has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $4,963 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary Political Science & Government Report

#3

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 112 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $11,696 for virginia 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 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Virginia

#4

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Richmond. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $9,131 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full URichmond Political Science & Government Report

#5

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #5 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $14,010 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 93%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Virginia Tech

#6

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #6, James Madison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, JMU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $15,726 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 JMU Political Science & Government Report

#7

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Emory & Henry College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Emory, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory and Henry College is $14,583 for virginia 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.

Full Emory & Henry College Political Science & Government Report

#8

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CNU is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 77 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

CNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend CNU is $17,522 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Christopher Newport University

#9

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, George Mason University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 177 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

GMU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $17,060 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at George Mason University

#10

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Radford, Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Radford has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Radford is $12,355 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Radford University

#11

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 186 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VCU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Commonwealth University is $17,529 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Virginia Commonwealth University

#12

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Old Dominion University is a large school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 60 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Old Dominion also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $13,747 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Old Dominion University.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Old Dominion University

#13

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMW, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMW is $14,997 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Mary Washington Political Science & Government Report

#14

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia

Longwood University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Farmville, Virginia, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Longwood also took the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Longwood University is $14,433 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Longwood University

#15

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

With a ranking of #15, Randolph - Macon College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Randolph - Macon College is a small school located in Ashland, Virginia that handed out 18 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Randolph - Macon, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon is $20,105 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Randolph - Macon College Political Science & Government Report

#16

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Roanoke College is located in Salem, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Roanoke also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $19,874 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Roanoke.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Roanoke College

#17

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Bridgewater College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bridgewater is a small school located in Bridgewater, Virginia that handed out 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater College is $14,634 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Bridgewater College Political Science & Government Report

#18

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Marymount is located in Arlington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Marymount is $22,618 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Marymount University Political Science & Government Report

#19

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Virginia State is a small school located in Petersburg, Virginia that handed out 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State is $16,410 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#20

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Lynchburg is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Lynchburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $21,307 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lynchburg.

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.

Full Lynchburg Political Science & Government Report

#21

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Virginia Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VWU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Wesleyan University is $20,744 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full VWU Political Science & Government Report

#22

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Regent University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Regent also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Regent is $14,525 for virginia bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Regent

#23

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hampden - Sydney College is a small school located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia that handed out 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Hampden - Sydney did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $25,858 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hampden - Sydney College.

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%. 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.

Full Hampden - Sydney Political Science & Government Report

#24

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 137 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Liberty University also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $26,124 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Liberty University.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Liberty University

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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