2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k
86
Ranked Colleges
5,797
Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,797 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,195 and $24,420 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 86 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $5,849 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Northwestern
Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 139 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,375 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UChicago Political Science & Government Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 285 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for great lakes region 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 96%. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 135 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $8,450 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Purdue Political Science & Government Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 447 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Notre Dame landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 204 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,020 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Notre Dame.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Notre Dame
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 257 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $11,505 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 UIUC
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 141 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,369 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Indiana University - Bloomington
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 277 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,273 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report
Kenyon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Kenyon is a small school located in Gambier, Ohio that handed out 26 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Kenyon also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Kenyon is $20,727 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
Full Kenyon College Political Science & Government Report
Beloit College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Beloit is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 14 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Beloit College is $10,850 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Beloit College
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $14,105 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad 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 full report on Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Chicago
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 59 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,198 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UW - La Crosse Political Science & Government Report
DePauw University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePauw, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw is $22,316 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full DePauw Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #15, Wabash College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wabash is a small school located in Crawfordsville, Indiana that handed out 20 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Wabash also took the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wabash is $19,742 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Wabash College
With a ranking of #16, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,306 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at IUPUI
Oakland University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $12,008 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Oakland
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 12 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $14,528 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at UW - River Falls
University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $11,492 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at UIS
Wayne State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,612 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Wayne State Political Science & Government Report
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 33 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,675 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Eastern Illinois University
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 23 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $12,398 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Michigan - Dearborn
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 39 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,737 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #24, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 22 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Wheaton College Illinois also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,373 for Great Lakes Region Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Wheaton College Illinois
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,499 for great lakes region political science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
