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2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

33 Ranked Colleges
1,397 Degrees Awarded
$21,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 Illinois, there were 1,532 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,277 and $22,016 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,397 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

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 Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” 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. 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 Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 121 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $16,784 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 106 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $17,929 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive 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. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 259 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $17,342 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Springfield

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $21,425 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Political Science & Government at NIU

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Saint Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k list, SXU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,457 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Full Saint Xavier University Political Science & Government Report

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $20,270 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Chicago

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

EIU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $19,147 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Eastern Illinois University

#9

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $24,299 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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 freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Wheaton College Illinois

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 30 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k list, SIUE has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $18,928 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Political Science & Government Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $20,698 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SIUC

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,181 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read more about Political Science & Government at WIU

#13

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $20,629 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full University of Saint Francis Political Science & Government Report

#14

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $25,379 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Illinois State

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Northeastern Illinois University

#16

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,820 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Political Science & Government Report

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $21,979 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Dominican University.

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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Dominican U

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $23,486 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Millikin

#19

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $23,434 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend McKendree.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at McKendree

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k list, Augustana has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,730 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 Augustana College

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,813 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Knox.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Knox College Political Science & Government Report

#22

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Illinois College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $19,711 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Illinois College Political Science & Government Report

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $23,604 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Elmhurst Political Science & Government Report

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $21,306 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Political Science & Government Report

#25

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k list, North Central has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,778 for illinois bachelor’s degree political science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend North Central College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at North Central

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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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