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 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Idaho the best value school in the United States for political science and government students. Located in the town of Rexburg, BYU - I is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU - I are $4,416 a year. Political Science majors at BYU - I take out an average of $12,021 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools list. Located in the city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year. Political Science majors at BYU take out an average of $15,960 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, BYU is in the top 20% 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, 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 town of Charles Town.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at American Military University are $7,360 a year. On average, political science graduates from American Military University take out $19,814 in student loans while working on their degree.
American Military University also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Rosa Junior College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools list. SRJC is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa.
SRJC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,952 in tuition and fees each year.
SRJC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
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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 large suburb of Parkville, Park University is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Park University are $8,853 per year.
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College of Western Idaho did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for political science and government students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the rural area of Nampa, CWI is a public school with a fairly 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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With a ranking of #7, University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. UMGC is a very 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.
UMGC also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools ranking. Located in the city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ASU - Skysong are $13,092 a 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.
ASU - Skysong also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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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 medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Midwest City.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at RSC are $11,131 per year.
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The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for political science and government students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at The Graduate Center are $15,360 per year.
The Graduate Center excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
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Central New Mexico Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools ranking. CNM is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Albuquerque.
CNM undergraduate students pay an average of $7,540 in tuition and fees each year.
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Nicholls State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools list. Nicholls State University is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Thibodaux.
Nicholls State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,039 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - River Falls are $15,661 per year.
UW - River Falls also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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University of North Dakota landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UND are $15,037 per year.
UND also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #16, Harrisburg Area Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. Located in the city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public college 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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South Dakota 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 #17 on the list. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Dakota State are $12,809 per 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.
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National University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National University are $13,320 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, National University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
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University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. UNC Pembroke is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Pembroke.
UNC Pembroke undergraduate students pay an average of $7,495 in tuition and fees each 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, UMN Morris is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools list.
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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 college with a moderately-sized student population.
Columbia College Missouri undergraduate students pay an average of $11,636 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Columbia College Missouri 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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Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools ranking. 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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Fort Hays State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools list. Located in the town of Hays, FHSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FHSU are $15,870 per 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 very 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.
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With a ranking of #25, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that political science majors at SIUE take out is $26,000.
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Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the rest 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.