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Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

20 Colleges
$24,135 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$37,500 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Political Science & Government School for You

Political Science & Government is the #14 most popular major in Virginia with 1,786 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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.

The Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 20 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value programs for political science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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.

Top 10 Best Political Science & Government Schools

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
$14,174 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Virginia Tech the best value school in Virginia for political science and government students. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Virginia Tech are $14,174 per year. While working on their degree, political science majors at Virginia Tech accumulate an average of around $23,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $450.

Virginia Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia list.

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#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found James Madison University to be the best value school for political science and government students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

JMU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,638 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that political science majors at JMU take out is $22,392. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $517, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

In addition to its great value ranking, JMU is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia list.

Full Political Science & Government at James Madison University Report

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#3

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA
$10,800 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 20 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Old Dominion University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Norfolk.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Old Dominion are $10,800 per year. While working on their degree, political science majors at Old Dominion accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Old Dominion University

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#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means George Mason University is a great value for political science and government students. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.

GMU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,119 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Political Science majors at GMU take out an average of $23,250 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $492, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

GMU also claimed a spot on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

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#5

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA
$14,924 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia list. CNU is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Newport News.

CNU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,924 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that political science majors at CNU take out is $24,950. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $389, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

In addition to its great value ranking, CNU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia list.

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$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia ranking. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

University of Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $19,785 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that political science majors at University of Virginia take out is $19,500.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Virginia is ranked #1 for overall quality for political science in Virginia.

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#7

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA
$13,800 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Mary Washington landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value political science and government programs. UMW is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg.

UMW undergraduate students pay an average of $13,800 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Political Science majors at UMW take out an average of $25,691 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#8

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, William & Mary did quite well on this year’s best value schools for political science and government students. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at William & Mary are $23,812 a year. While working on their degree, political science majors at William & Mary accumulate an average of around $19,400 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $417, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

William & Mary also took the #5 spot in our Best Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia rankings.

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#9

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA
$16,160 Average Tuition & Fees

Liberty University 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. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.

Liberty University undergraduate students pay an average of $16,160 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, political science graduates from Liberty University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Political Science & Government at Liberty University Report

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#10

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

Radford University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Virginia list. Located in the suburb of Radford, Radford is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Radford undergraduate students pay an average of $11,542 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, political science graduates from Radford take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Political Science & Government at Radford University Report

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Best Value Political Science & Government Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Political Science & Government Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 1,199
North Carolina 1,764
Florida 2,532
Tennessee 718
Kentucky 439
South Carolina 768
Louisiana 582
Arkansas 297
Alabama 566
Mississippi 294
West Virginia 290

One of 12 majors within the area of study, political science and government has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 20 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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