2023 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Political Science & Government School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, political science and government was ranked #20 in the country. In fact 49,282 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 95 schools in the Great Lakes Region 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.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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 15% Best Political Science & Government Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Wisconsin - River Falls the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for political science and government students. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school located in the town of River Falls.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - River Falls are $15,661 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - River Falls also is in the top 10% of our Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
Full Political Science & Government at University of Wisconsin - River Falls Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SIUE are $11,496 a year. While working on their degree, political science majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
Full Political Science & Government at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Youngstown State University is a great value for political science and government students. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Youngstown.
Youngstown State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,732 in tuition and fees each year. Political Science majors at Youngstown State University take out an average of $22,798 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Youngstown State University
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The excellent programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best political science and government schools in the Great Lakes Region . WIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WIU are $13,297 per year. On average, political science graduates from WIU take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Western Illinois University
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Out of the 95 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Akron Main Campus landed the # 5 spot on the list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school located in the city of Akron.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 a year. Political Science majors at University of Akron Main Campus take out an average of $25,408 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Political Science & Government at University of Akron Main Campus Report
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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the small city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW Oshkosh are $15,306 per year.
UW Oshkosh also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for political science and government students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the distant town of Whitewater, UW - Whitewater is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Whitewater are $16,602 a year. After completing their degree, political science graduates from UW - Whitewater carry an average student debtload of $28,344.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UW - Whitewater also did well on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. Located in the small city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - La Crosse are $18,014 a year. After completing their degree, political science graduates from UW - La Crosse carry an average student debtload of $23,000.
UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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Purdue University Northwest did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for political science and government students. It came in at #9 on the list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Hammond.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Purdue Northwest are $14,349 a year.
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Northern Illinois University 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 suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per year. Political Science majors at NIU take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Northern Illinois University
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University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Green Bay, UW - Green Bay is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Green Bay are $16,091 a year. After completing their degree, political science graduates from UW - Green Bay carry an average student debtload of $24,895.
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Central Michigan University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Michigan are $13,094 per year. The average amount in student loans that political science majors at Central Michigan take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $226, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #13, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. Located in the medium-sized city of Springfield, UIS is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UIS are $18,857 a year. After completing their degree, political science graduates from UIS carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Political Science & Government at University of Illinois at Springfield Report
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University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the city of Eau Claire.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 a year. On average, political science graduates from UW - Eau Claire take out $24,343 in student loans while working on their degree.
UW - Eau Claire also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Political Science & Government students in the Great Lakes Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 16 | University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, IN |
| 17 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 17 | Chicago State University | Chicago, IL |
| 19 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
Best Political Science & Government Colleges by State
Explore the best political science and government colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,044 |
| Ohio | 1,433 |
| Illinois | 1,470 |
| Indiana | 798 |
| Wisconsin | 925 |
More Political Science & Government Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
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.
Political Science & Government Related Majors for Political Science
Political Science & Government is one of 12 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Political Science
| 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 26 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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