Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Political Science & Government

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

188 Ranked Colleges
1,850 Degrees Awarded
$31,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master's For Those Getting Aid

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 Master’s For Those Getting Aid” 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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,850 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 188 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government (With Aid)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Yale also took the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Yale

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree political science students with aid list, Harvard has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Harvard

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

Out of the 188 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 25 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Political Science & Government Report

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

Top 20% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 4 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to political science quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW Seattle Political Science & Government Report

#6

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Princeton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Princeton Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 10 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Cal State LA

#8

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#10 in overall quality

Stanford University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Stanford University Political Science & Government Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 3 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UT Rio Grande Valley

#10

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952.

Full Brooklyn College Political Science & Government Report

#11

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also claimed a top spot on our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Political Science & Government Report

With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UT Dallas are $28,610.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UT Dallas

#13

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Los Angeles

#14

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. American Public University System is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 31 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at American Military University are $7,050, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Political Science & Government at American Public University System

California State University - Northridge came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 6 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955.

Read more about Political Science & Government at CSUN

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Cal State Fullerton

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s political science degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 42 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Columbia Political Science & Government Report

#19

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified masters’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of West Florida are $24,894.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UWF

#20

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 24 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707.

Full Florida State Political Science & Government Report

#21

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #21, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 89 degrees to qualified masters’s political science students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Johns Hopkins

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Irvine

#23

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 6 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#25

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia

With a ranking of #25, Augusta University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Augusta University is a medium-sized school located in Augusta, Georgia that handed out 7 masters’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Augusta University are $20,712, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Augusta University Political Science & Government Report

Rest of the Best 29 in Best Value Political Science Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 29 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#29

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

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