10 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Political Science

Is a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree real­ly worth your time? What type of finan­cial invest­ment will I need to make in order to earn a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree? One way to max­i­mize your invest­ment in a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree is by find­ing afford­able pro­grams from the start. With a low ini­tial cost, the income you make from your degree goes to build­ing your future, not pay­ing off your debts.

First and fore­most, when some­one decides he or she wants to earn a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree, the per­son wants to find a degree that he or she can afford. He or she does­n’t want to have a moun­tain of debt after school, either. There­fore, a per­son should look for the cheap­est polit­i­cal sci­ence degree avail­able or at least the cheap­est few degree options. Some­one could also con­sid­er earn­ing a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree at a com­mu­ni­ty col­lege for his or her asso­ci­ate’s degree. Then, he or she could trans­fer to a pri­vate or pub­lic col­lege to earn his or her bach­e­lor’s degree.

Methodology: How We Ranked the Most Affordable Political Science Degrees

Bachelor’s Degree Cen­ter edi­tors begin every rank­ing with respect­ed, accred­it­ed insti­tu­tions. But for the Most Afford­able rank­ing, only one fac­tor comes into play: tuition rate, accord­ing to cur­rent IPEDS data.

1. Columbia College

The BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence from Colum­bia Col­lege tops the list of the most afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degrees. This afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram allows stu­dents to learn about gov­ern­ment from both prac­ti­cal and the­o­ret­i­cal per­spec­tives. Stu­dents learn about equal­i­ty and jus­tice, democ­ra­cy, the rela­tion­ships between dif­fer­ent branch­es of gov­ern­ment, and the Con­sti­tu­tion as it relates to the struc­ture of gov­ern­ment. Stu­dents also learn about polit­i­cal sys­tems in oth­er parts of the world, the way nations relate to one anoth­er, and the ways cit­i­zens par­tic­i­pate in gov­ern­ment around the world.

The His­to­ry, Phi­los­o­phy and Polit­i­cal Sci­ences Depart­ment at Colum­bia Col­lege teach­es stu­dents to be respon­si­ble cit­i­zens while pur­su­ing pro­fes­sion­al advance­ment, intel­lec­tu­al growth, and per­son­al ful­fill­ment. Stu­dents are pre­pared for what­ev­er comes next after grad­u­a­tion, whether that is grad­u­a­tion, pub­lic ser­vice, or a career at a pri­vate corporation.

What We Like: This pro­gram avail­able both online and on cam­pus. Some online cours­es may be required in the on-cam­pus programs.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BA

BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence from Colum­bia College

2. Thomas Edison State University

The BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence from Thomas Edi­son State Uni­ver­si­ty is anoth­er of the most afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degrees in the US. This afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram offers per­son­al enrich­ment and pre­pares stu­dents for a poten­tial career change or for grad­u­ate school. Stu­dents learn to ana­lyze author­i­ty, study pow­er with­in a soci­ety, and make a dif­fer­ence when it comes to influ­enc­ing pub­lic pol­i­cy. The cur­ricu­lum pro­vides a sol­id foun­da­tion in the lib­er­al arts while fos­ter­ing a deep­er under­stand­ing of polit­i­cal sci­ence. Stu­dents learn the major forms of gov­ern­ment, the struc­ture of the US polit­i­cal sys­tem, and research method­olo­gies for polit­i­cal science.

The Heav­in School of Arts and Sci­ences takes an inter­dis­ci­pli­nary approach to learn­ing. The school caters to adult stu­dents who are inter­est­ed in the social sci­ences, nat­ur­al sci­ences, human­i­ties, and lib­er­al arts. Stu­dents com­plete a lib­er­al arts edu­ca­tion com­bined with in-depth learn­ing in their areas of study.

What We Like: Stu­dents can cus­tomize their edu­ca­tion by select­ing 15 cred­its of polit­i­cal sci­ence electives.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BA

BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence — Thomas Edi­son State University

3. Arizona State University-West

Ari­zona State University’s West cam­pus offers a BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence. This pro­gram is one of the most afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degrees in the nation. Stu­dents enrolled in the pro­gram learn the research skills they need to ana­lyze polit­i­cal and sociopo­lit­i­cal issues. The afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents for pub­lic admin­is­tra­tion careers and for grad­u­ate school. The BA in polit­i­cal sci­ence pre­pares stu­dents for work in urban plan­ning, social sci­ence dis­ci­plines, pro­fes­sion­al schools, and polit­i­cal science.

The New Col­lege of Inter­dis­ci­pli­nary Arts and Sci­ences com­bines the best fea­tures of a small-col­lege expe­ri­ence with those of a top-tier research uni­ver­si­ty. Stu­dents expe­ri­ence close rela­tion­ships with fac­ul­ty and peers, and the fac­ul­ty pro­duces ground-break­ing research. Stu­dents come along for the ride, which pro­vides oppor­tu­ni­ties for per­son­al growth.

What We Like: Stu­dents offer use the degree as a pre­cur­sor to law school or fur­ther study in urban affairs, pub­lic pol­i­cy, pub­lic admin­is­tra­tion, or com­mu­ni­ty development.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BA

Ari­zona State Uni­ver­si­ty West BA in Polit­i­cal Science

4. University of Illinois Springfield

Next on the list of the most afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degrees is the BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence from the Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Spring­field. This afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram teach­es pol­i­cy-mak­ing and applied teach­ing, with the goal of help­ing stu­dents find employ­ment in the field. The cur­ricu­lum takes advan­tage of the school’s loca­tion in the state cap­i­tal of Illi­nois. Stu­dents learn the pol­i­cy-mak­ing process and study pol­i­cy issues such as edu­ca­tion, health­care, social wel­fare, crim­i­nal jus­tice, agri­cul­tur­al pol­i­cy, and envi­ron­men­tal issues. Stu­dents learn how to ana­lyze, draft, and advo­cate for changes to pub­lic policy.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Spring­field has been high­ly ranked among Mid­west­ern schools by US News & World Report for the past 13 years. The school is com­mit­ted to hav­ing a diverse stu­dent body where every­one feels wel­come and included.

What We Like: There are intern­ships avail­able for stu­dents in the polit­i­cal sci­ence program.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BA

BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence — Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois Springfield

5. Weber State University

Weber State Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BA or BS in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence that is one of the most afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degrees in the US. Stu­dents learn the the­o­ries and ideas behind var­i­ous polit­i­cal sys­tems and learn how they work. The cur­ricu­lum is cus­tomiz­able, so stu­dents can focus on the area of polit­i­cal sci­ence that inter­ests them most, such as pub­lic admin­is­tra­tion or Amer­i­can polit­i­cal insti­tu­tions. Stu­dents improve their crit­i­cal think­ing, read­ing, and writ­ing skills as they work their way through the program.

The Col­lege of Social & Behav­ioral Sci­ences focus­es on how peo­ple change, inter­act with one anoth­er, and why they act the way they do. Stu­dents devel­op close rela­tion­ships with fac­ul­ty mem­bers as they work on research projects and par­tic­i­pate in extracur­ric­u­lar activ­i­ties. There are options for study abroad and hands-on ser­vice learn­ing. Stu­dents learn how to make a dif­fer­ence by being good citizens.

What We Like: Weber State Uni­ver­si­ty also offers a BA or BS in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence Teaching.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BS/BA

Weber State Uni­ver­si­ty BA or BS in Polit­i­cal Science

6. Indiana University-Bloomington

Indi­ana Uni­ver­si­ty Bloom­ing­ton offers a BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence that teach­es stu­dents why gov­ern­ments are need­ed and what issues are of fun­da­men­tal impor­tance in the polit­i­cal process. Stu­dents learn about rela­tion­ships between var­i­ous gov­ern­ments, con­trol of gov­ern­ments, and the pro­ce­dures and struc­tures of gov­ern­ments. This afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram gives stu­dents the knowl­edge and skills they need to under­stand both domes­tic and inter­na­tion­al polit­i­cal sys­tems. Stu­dents learn how to think crit­i­cal­ly about soci­etal out­comes, pub­lic poli­cies, and polit­i­cal controversies.

The Col­lege of Arts and Sci­ences caters to stu­dents who are ready to make a dif­fer­ence by invent­ing, cre­at­ing, and explor­ing. The school pro­duces inno­v­a­tive, inquis­i­tive, and well-round­ed grad­u­ates who make the world a bet­ter place. Stu­dents are free to pur­sue their pas­sions and inter­ests while learn­ing the skills they will need to suc­ceed in the workforce.

What We Like: Indi­ana Uni­ver­si­ty Bloom­ing­ton also offers two inter­dis­ci­pli­nary majors that involve polit­i­cal sci­ence: polit­i­cal sci­ence and phi­los­o­phy, and eco­nom­ics and polit­i­cal science.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BA

Indi­ana Uni­ver­si­ty Bloom­ing­ton BA in Polit­i­cal Science

7. Lamar University

Lamar Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BA in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence that teach­es stu­dents about gov­ern­ment and how its deci­sions affect soci­ety. Stu­dents learn about the prac­tices, insti­tu­tions, and social and eco­nom­ic forces that influ­ence gov­ern­ment deci­sion-mak­ing. The afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram is ground­ed in the lib­er­al arts and teach­es crit­i­cal think­ing and ana­lyt­i­cal skills as part of the polit­i­cal sci­ence cur­ricu­lum. Stu­dents learn about their duties and rights as cit­i­zens. Lamar also offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, which focus­es on research and social sci­ence methodology.

Lamar Uni­ver­si­ty is a fast-grow­ing uni­ver­si­ty with over 15,000 stu­dents. The schools is part of the Texas State Uni­ver­si­ty Sys­tem and strives to keep its tuition low. Lamar has received nation­al recog­ni­tion for the qual­i­ty of its cur­ricu­lum at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doc­tor­al levels.

What We Like: The Bach­e­lor in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence at Lamar Uni­ver­si­ty pre­pares stu­dents for careers in pub­lic ser­vice, teach­ing, jour­nal­ism, leg­is­la­tion, or law.

Degree: Bachelor’s Degree in Polit­i­cal Science

Lamar Uni­ver­si­ty BA in Polit­i­cal Science

8. Troy University

Troy Uni­ver­si­ty offers a major in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence that pro­vides stu­dents with an under­stand­ing of how the cur­rent polit­i­cal cli­mate has evolved. Stu­dents focus on study­ing past and cur­rent trends in order to under­stand how pol­i­tics work. They learn about their rights and respon­si­bil­i­ties and how to par­tic­i­pate in the US polit­i­cal sys­tem. Required cours­es include the art of polit­i­cal sci­ence research, polit­i­cal the­o­ry, foun­da­tions in polit­i­cal sci­ence, world pol­i­tics, and Amer­i­can nation­al gov­ern­ment. Stu­dents can choose a con­cen­tra­tion in Amer­i­can pol­i­tics or inter­na­tion­al politics.

The Col­lege of Arts & Sci­ences at Troy Uni­ver­si­ty is a com­mu­ni­ty that works togeth­er to devel­op crit­i­cal think­ing skills, pur­sue knowl­edge, and gain an under­stand­ing of how soci­ety works. Stu­dents learn how to become active cit­i­zens who take their respon­si­bil­i­ties and rights seriously.

What We Like: The school offers minors in polit­i­cal sci­ence, Amer­i­can pol­i­tics, and inter­na­tion­al relations.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BA

Troy Uni­ver­si­ty Polit­i­cal Sci­ence Major

9. Wayne State College

Wayne State Col­lege offers a BA or BS in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence. This pro­gram teach­es how pol­i­tics influ­ences laws and pub­lic poli­cies. Stu­dents learn about polit­i­cal behav­ior, the way the gov­ern­ment oper­ates, pub­lic pol­i­cy, polit­i­cal the­o­ry, and inter­na­tion­al rela­tions. This afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents to con­tin­ue their stud­ies in the social sci­ences, geog­ra­phy, eco­nom­ics, or law. It also pre­pares stu­dents for a career in pub­lic admin­is­tra­tion, lead­er­ship, or busi­ness. Stu­dents learn about com­par­a­tive pol­i­tics, Con­sti­tu­tion­al law, and Amer­i­can politics.

The School of Arts and Human­i­ties shows off stu­dents’ tal­ent and cre­ativ­i­ty through art exhi­bi­tions, the­ater pro­duc­tions, musi­cal per­for­mances, and more. The school pro­vides plen­ty of oppor­tu­ni­ties for stu­dents to enrich their lives through guest lec­tures and oth­er events. The School of Arts and Human­i­ties is com­mit­ted to encour­ag­ing intel­lec­tu­al dis­cov­ery, crit­i­cal self-exam­i­na­tion, curios­i­ty, and creativity.

What We Like: The most recent grad­u­ate sur­vey revealed that 100% of recent Wayne State Col­lege grad­u­ates were either in grad­u­ate school or employed.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BS/BA

Wayne State Col­lege BA or BS in Polit­i­cal Science

10. University of North Alabama

The Uni­ver­si­ty of North Alaba­ma offers a BA or BS in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence that pre­pares stu­dents for careers in gov­ern­ment or for grad­u­ate stud­ies in pol­i­cy, pol­i­tics, gov­ern­ment, or law. Grad­u­ates of the afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree pro­gram get jobs at every lev­el of the gov­ern­ment and many receive man­age­ment jobs at pri­vate for-prof­it com­pa­nies. The pro­gram con­sists of 36 hours. Required cours­es include polit­i­cal the­o­ry, world pol­i­tics, com­par­a­tive pol­i­tics, polit­i­cal sci­ence scope and research, pub­lic pol­i­cy and admin­is­tra­tion, and Unit­ed States gov­ern­ment and politics.

The Col­lege of Arts and Sci­ences con­sists of 18 depart­ments that work togeth­er to help stu­dents achieve their dreams. The school is com­mit­ted to encour­ag­ing inno­va­tion, cre­ativ­i­ty, inde­pen­dence, dis­cov­ery, research, cul­tur­al enrich­ment, skill, and knowl­edge. The Col­lege of Arts and Sci­ences is the largest col­lege on cam­pus, with more than 200 full-time fac­ul­ty mem­bers and staff.

What We Like: The Uni­ver­si­ty of North Alaba­ma also offers minors in legal stud­ies, inter­na­tion­al polit­i­cal stud­ies, pub­lic admin­is­tra­tion, and polit­i­cal science.

Degree: Polit­i­cal Sci­ence, BS/BA

Uni­ver­si­ty of North Alaba­ma BA or BS in Polit­i­cal Science

How Do I Save Money on a Political Science Degree?

A per­son may just want to look into an afford­able polit­i­cal sci­ence degree options that aren’t the cheap­est as well because a per­son can find oth­er ways to save mon­ey on a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree as well, or use these tips to save mon­ey on the cheap­est polit­i­cal sci­ence options. For instance, a per­son can apply for fed­er­al and state fund­ing. This finan­cial sav­ings option allows a per­son to apply for grants avail­able based on income. The grants don’t have to be paid back as long as the per­son com­pletes his or her degree. In addi­tion, a per­son can look for pri­vate grants that a per­son does­n’t have to pay back as long as he or she com­pletes by con­duct­ing a search for grants.

A per­son may also want to look into the option of employ­er reim­burse­ment. For this par­tic­u­lar mon­ey-sav­ing option, a per­son makes an agree­ment with his or her employ­er. The employ­er will reim­burse the per­son after he or she com­pletes his or her degree for a por­tion of tuition. The per­son will also have to work for the com­pa­ny for so long after he or she com­pletes his or her degree.

Will a Certification in Political Science Help My Career?

If a per­son choos­es to earn one of the polit­i­cal sci­ence cer­ti­fi­ca­tions, he or she can ben­e­fit in his or her career. A per­son will be able to earn a bet­ter posi­tion or spe­cial­ize in a cer­tain area of polit­i­cal sci­ence with one of the polit­i­cal sci­ence cer­ti­fi­ca­tions. Addi­tion­al­ly, a per­son will be able to earn a high­er salary with a polit­i­cal sci­ence cer­ti­fi­ca­tion. A cer­ti­fi­ca­tion shows prospec­tive employ­ers that a per­son has a ded­i­ca­tion to his or her field. It also shows that he or she has extra knowl­edge, which can set apart from the rest of the crowd. There­fore, a per­son may be able to acquire a posi­tion that he or she may not have been able to with­out a certification.

Keep in mind that a per­son wants to find good cer­ti­fi­ca­tions for polit­i­cal sci­ence majors. A per­son can find more about good cer­ti­fi­ca­tions for polit­i­cal sci­ence majors by con­duct­ing an inter­net search.

How Much Can I Make with a Degree in Political Science?

The aver­age degree in polit­i­cal sci­ence salary varies based on a per­son­’s loca­tion. Addi­tion­al­ly, a per­son can earn a high­er salary for a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree salary depend­ing on the type of posi­tion he or she acquires. Gen­er­al­ly though, a per­son who obtains an entry-lev­el posi­tion will earn a per­son a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree jobs salary is around $50,000 per year. The aver­age polit­i­cal sci­ence degree salary for a mid-lev­el career is around $60,337 year­ly, on aver­age. On the oth­er hand, the aver­age degree in polit­i­cal sci­ence salary for a late-career is around $108,123 annually.

A per­son­’s aver­age polit­i­cal sci­ence degree also varies based on his or her career type. For instance, the polit­i­cal sci­ence degree aver­age salary is $52,611 for some­one who is a pub­lic rela­tions spe­cial­ist. In cer­tain states, the aver­age polit­i­cal sci­ence degree jobs salary is $62,390 per year in Rhode Island. The top salary for a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree for some­one in these posi­tions is over $100,000 annu­al­ly, specif­i­cal­ly, the aver­age salary for polit­i­cal sci­ence degree high­est salary for this posi­tion is $107,838.

A per­son could also choose to become a polit­i­cal sci­en­tist. On aver­age, the polit­i­cal sci­ence degree jobs salary for this posi­tion is $117,570 per year. An aver­age polit­i­cal sci­ence degree jobs salary is high­er for some peo­ple in this career path. For instance, the high­est polit­i­cal sci­ence degree jobs salary for this posi­tion is equiv­a­lent to close to $150,000 per year. Keep in mind that most peo­ple who desire this high of a salary for what is the aver­age salary for a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree need to have a min­i­mum of a mas­ter’s degree.

While oth­er posi­tions exist that have a dif­fer­ent polit­i­cal degree job salary, these are a few exam­ples, so a per­son knows what to expect. The polit­i­cal sci­ence bach­e­lor degree salary is high­er for some of these jobs, espe­cial­ly when a per­son lands a posi­tion in a more polit­i­cal area. More­over, the aver­age polit­i­cal sci­ence degree salary increas­es over time.

The bot­tom line, when a per­son is ask­ing what is the aver­age salary from a polit­i­cal sci­ence degree, he or she should under­stand a lucra­tive salary is possible.

Relat­ed Rankings: 

25 Best Bach­e­lor’s in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence Programs

15 Best Online Bach­e­lor’s in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence Programs

10 Fastest Online Bach­e­lor’s in Polit­i­cal Science