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2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in Pennsylvania

46 Ranked Colleges
2,088 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,088 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,344 and $25,742 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 46 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.

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.

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

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Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $48-$75k) in Pennsylvania

1
UPenn crest
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 in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 154 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $12,020 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full UPenn Political Science & Government Report

2
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Haverford College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Haverford also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $17,402 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Haverford College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Haverford College

3
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Swarthmore College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Swarthmore is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Swarthmore, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $11,521 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Swarthmore.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 impressive undergrad 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 more about Political Science & Government at Swarthmore College

4
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lafayette College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 61 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Lafayette did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $13,393 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lafayette.

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 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 more about Political Science & Government at Lafayette

5
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gettysburg College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 71 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Gettysburg also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,391 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Gettysburg College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Gettysburg College

6
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 55 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Dickinson has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,300 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dickinson.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Dickinson College

7
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Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #7, Lycoming College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Williamsport, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lycoming has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,005 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lycoming College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Lycoming College

8
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Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Vincent is a small school located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Saint Vincent has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Vincent College is $19,682 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Saint Vincent

9
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Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, Harrisburg Area Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. HACC is a public institution located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,773 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend HACC.

Full HACC Political Science & Government Report

10
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Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #10, Temple University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Temple is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 153 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Temple, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,568 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Temple.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Temple University

11
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Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Allegheny College is a small school located in Meadville, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Allegheny also took the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Allegheny College is $21,460 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Allegheny Political Science & Government Report

12
Franklin and Marshall crest
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

Franklin and Marshall also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Franklin and Marshall College is $18,814 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Franklin and Marshall

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 207 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $24,139 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pitt

14
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Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 14 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Albright is $17,867 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Albright

15
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend SRU is $19,050 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at SRU

16
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Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 133 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Villanova, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $28,580 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Villanova.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Villanova University

17
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Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $19,879 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Political Science & Government Report

18
YCP crest
York College of Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in York, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for YCP is $20,717 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 YCP

19
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Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 89 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucknell, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell University is $26,956 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bucknell

20
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West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. WCUPA is a fairly large school located in West Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 47 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

WCUPA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $19,085 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full WCUPA Political Science & Government Report

21
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La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

La Salle University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. La Salle University is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 20 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

La Salle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend La Salle University is $20,975 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full La Salle University Political Science & Government Report

22
W&J crest
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Washington, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

W&J not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington & Jefferson College is $24,161 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full W&J Political Science & Government Report

23
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Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Susquehanna is a small school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania that handed out 22 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Susquehanna not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Susquehanna is $23,445 for Pennsylvania Political Science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Susquehanna Political Science & Government Report

24
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Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Muhlenberg College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 22 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Muhlenberg has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Muhlenberg is $20,783 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Muhlenberg College

25
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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #25, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $16,208 for pennsylvania political science students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

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