Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Political Science & Government

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

54 Ranked Colleges
3,641 Degrees Awarded
$32,993 Avg Salary
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Southwest region, there were 3,962 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,993 and $20,539 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,641 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 54 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.

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

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 the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,318 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Rice.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at Rice University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $6,405 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 more about Political Science & Government at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Laredo, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,809 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Texas A&M International University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 328 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,757 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Political Science & Government Report

#5

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 211 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $12,505 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Houston Political Science & Government Report

#22 in overall quality

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized school located in Odessa, Texas that handed out 9 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Permian Basin, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,417 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UT Permian Basin

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 295 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $18,810 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Political Science & Government Report

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Richardson, Texas, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $13,797 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, 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 UT Dallas Political Science & Government Report

#9

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #9, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 205 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $15,399 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 75 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $13,827 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at The University of Texas at San Antonio

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 361 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $14,033 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full ASU - Tempe Political Science & Government Report

With a ranking of #12, University of North Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Texas at Dallas is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas at Dallas is $9,127 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UNT Dallas

#13

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas

Texas Woman’s University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend TWU is $9,629 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Texas Woman’s University

#14

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 133 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Texas State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,250 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas State.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Texas State

#15

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 109 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $17,421 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at Texas Tech

The University of Texas at Tyler came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Tyler, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,037 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Tyler.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at The University of Texas at Tyler

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 47 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $10,786 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at The University of Texas at El Paso

#18

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

With a ranking of #18, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 114 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas is $15,377 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UNT

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,698 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at OSU

Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Durant, Oklahoma, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $9,796 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University Political Science & Government Report

#20

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. ASU - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,891 for southwest region bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend ASU - Skysong.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Arizona State University - Skysong

#21

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas

Trinity University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Trinity U also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $18,012 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Trinity University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Trinity U Political Science & Government Report

#22

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ada, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Central University is $13,316 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at East Central University

#23

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Huntsville, Texas, this large public school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

SHSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,832 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sam Houston State University.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Sam Houston State University

#24

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,068 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read more about Political Science & Government at MSU Texas

#25

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Angelo State University is a public institution located in San Angelo, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,876 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Angelo State University.

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

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