2026 Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[Other Political Science & Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-science-and-government-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other political science & government education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other political science & government schools.
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BA in Political Science
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2026 Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other political science & government, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools
University Of Maryland College Park tops our 2026 list of the best value other political science & government schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park. Students from in state pay about $11,809 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,186 for out-of-state students. Other Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $18,768 in student loans. Other Political Science & Government graduates of University Of Maryland College Park earn a median of $42,688 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Maryland College Park admits about 45% of applicants.
Johns Hopkins University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other political science & government, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $64,730 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $13,426 to complete the other political science & government program here. Early-career other political science & government graduates make about $83,555. That is a strong return on a $13,426 median debt. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Swarthmore College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value other political science & government schools. Set in the suburb of Swarthmore, Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,494. Other Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other political science & government degree recipients from Swarthmore College generally make around $40,449. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Mcdaniel College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other political science & government, landing the #4 spot this year. Mcdaniel College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Westminster. In-state tuition and fees average $52,081. Typical student debt for other political science & government graduates is $25,362. Early-career other political science & government graduates make about $54,904. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Mcdaniel College admits about 78% of applicants.
West Chester University Of Pennsylvania is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other political science & government, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the suburb of West Chester, West Chester University Of Pennsylvania is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,775, with out-of-state students paying around $22,599. Graduates go on to earn a median of $61,258 ten years after entry. West Chester University Of Pennsylvania admits about 78% of applicants.
Muhlenberg College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value other political science & government schools. Located in the city of Allentown, Muhlenberg College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $62,805. Students borrow a median of $26,950 to complete the other political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, other political science & government degree recipients from Muhlenberg College generally make around $25,058. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
University Of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot for other political science & government value this year. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,686. Students borrow a median of $14,722 to complete the other political science & government program here. Early-career other political science & government graduates make about $65,473. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Lafayette College placed #8 among the best values for other political science & government. Located in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,648. Typical student debt for other political science & government graduates is $13,640. Early-career other political science & government graduates make about $48,112. Set against $13,640 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 31%.
Marist College placed #9 among the best values for other political science & government. Marist College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $47,620. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the other political science & government program here. Other Political Science & Government graduates of Marist College earn a median of $43,238 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
American University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value other political science & government schools. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the other political science & government program here. Early-career other political science & government graduates make about $53,411. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.