2023 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Political Science & Government School for You
In 2020-2021, 49,282 people earned a degree or certificate in political science and government, making the major the #20 most popular in the United States.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Political Science & Government Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 664 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for political science students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured Political Science Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Gain a solid understanding of American political history, the current political landscape, and the major political parties with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Political Science & Government
Our analysis found Brigham Young University - Idaho to be the best value school for political science and government students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the town of Rexburg, BYU - I is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees each year. Political Science majors at BYU - I take out an average of $12,021 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Political Science & Government at Brigham Young University - Idaho Report
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Out of the 664 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU are $6,120 per year. Political Science majors at BYU take out an average of $15,960 in student loans while working on their egree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, BYU also did well on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Out of the 664 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the # 3 spot on the list. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at American Military University are $7,360 per year. On average, political science graduates from American Military University take out $19,814 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, American Military University is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
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Out of the 664 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Rosa Junior College landed the # 4 spot on the list. SRJC is a large public school located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SRJC are $8,952 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, SRJC also did well on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Park University is a great value for political science and government students. Located in the suburb of Parkville, Park University is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Park University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,853 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #6, College of Western Idaho did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. Located in the rural area of Nampa, CWI is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CWI are $7,344 a year. On average, political science graduates from CWI take out $11,838 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Maryland Global Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools ranking. UMGC is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Adelphi.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMGC are $12,336 per year. After completing their degree, political science graduates from UMGC carry an average student debtload of $18,039.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMGC also is in the top 10% of our Best Political Science & Government Schools ranking.
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Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASU - Skysong are $13,092 per year. Political Science majors at ASU - Skysong take out an average of $23,251 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $357.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, ASU - Skysong also did well on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Rose State College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools ranking. RSC is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Midwest City.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at RSC are $11,131 a year.
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The Graduate Center, CUNY ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools list. Located in the city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at The Graduate Center are $15,360 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, The Graduate Center also is in the top 5% of our Best Political Science & Government Schools ranking.
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With a ranking of #11, Central New Mexico Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. CNM is a large public school located in the city of Albuquerque.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CNM are $7,540 per year.
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Nicholls State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for political science and government students. It came in at #12 on the list. Nicholls State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Thibodaux.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Nicholls State University are $9,039 a year.
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - River Falls are $15,661 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - River Falls is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
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University of North Dakota did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for political science and government students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UND are $15,037 a year.
UND excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
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Harrisburg Area Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. Located in the city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
HACC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,818 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #17, South Dakota State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Dakota State are $12,809 a year. Political Science majors at South Dakota State take out an average of $24,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, South Dakota State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
Full Political Science & Government at South Dakota State University Report
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National University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National University are $13,320 per year.
National University also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Political Science & Government at National University Report
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With a ranking of #19, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Pembroke.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UNC Pembroke are $7,495 a year. After completing their degree, political science graduates from UNC Pembroke carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. UMN Morris is a small public school located in the remote town of Morris.
UMN Morris undergraduate students pay an average of $15,940 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UMN Morris also did well on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Columbia College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. Located in the city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Columbia College Missouri undergraduate students pay an average of $11,636 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Columbia College Missouri also is in the top 20% of our Best Political Science & Government Schools ranking.
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Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.
Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network undergraduate students pay an average of $13,392 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, political science graduates from Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network carry an average student debtload of $25,375. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $451, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #23, Fort Hays State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. Located in the town of Hays, FHSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at FHSU are $15,870 a year. On average, political science graduates from FHSU take out $31,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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East Los Angeles College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. East Los Angeles College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Monterey Park.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at East Los Angeles College are $9,012 a year.
Full Political Science & Government at East Los Angeles College Report
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for political science and government students. It came in at #25 on the list. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SIUE are $11,496 a year. The average amount in student loans that political science majors at SIUE take out is $26,000.
Full Political Science & Government at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report
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Remaining Award Winners
This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Value Political Science & Government Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 664 different United States political science and government schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Political Science & Government Schools award.
Political Science & Government by Region
View the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Political Science & Government Rankings
Other Related Political Science Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Gain a solid understanding of American political history, the current political landscape, and the major political parties with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Majors Related to Political Science
One of 12 majors within the area of study, political science and government has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 49,055 |
| Sociology | 38,475 |
| General Social Sciences | 18,997 |
| International Relations & National Security | 14,306 |
| Anthropology | 11,415 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UKWiki at English Wikipedia.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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