2026 Best Value Political Economy Schools in California
[Political Economy](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-economy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value political economy schools.
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Featured Political Economy Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Political Science
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.
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2026 Best Value Political Economy Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in political economy, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Political Economy Schools
California State University San Bernardino tops our 2026 list of the best value political economy schools in California. Set in the city of San Bernardino, California State University San Bernardino is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,088 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,688. Political Economy graduates carry a median of $17,045 in student loans. Early-career political economy graduates make about $42,421. That is a strong return on a $17,045 median debt. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Southern California earned it the #2 place for political economy. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $71,647 in tuition and fees. Political Economy graduates carry a median of $12,869 in student loans. Political Economy graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of $38,063 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Southern California admits about 10% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
