2026 Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania

[Other Political Science & Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-science-and-government-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other political science & government schools.
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2026 Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other political science & government degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Other Political Science & Government Schools
Swarthmore College tops our 2026 list of the best value other political science & government schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the suburb of Swarthmore, Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,494 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the other political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, other political science & government degree recipients from Swarthmore College generally make around $40,449. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Swarthmore College admits about 8% of applicants.
West Chester University Of Pennsylvania came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value other political science & government schools. West Chester University Of Pennsylvania is a large public school located in the suburb of West Chester. In-state tuition and fees average $10,775, with out-of-state students paying around $22,599. Median earnings reach $61,258 ten years out. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Muhlenberg College one of the best values for other political science & government. Located in the city of Allentown, Muhlenberg College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $62,805. Other Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $26,950 in student loans. 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. Muhlenberg College admits about 72% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Pennsylvania one of the best values for other political science & government. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Students from in state pay about $68,686 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for other political science & government graduates is $14,722. Soon after graduation, other political science & government degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $65,473. That is a strong return on a $14,722 median debt. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in other political science & government will find it at Lafayette College, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,648. Other Political Science & Government graduates carry a median of $13,640 in student loans. Other Political Science & Government graduates of Lafayette College earn a median of $48,112 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,640 median debt. Roughly 31% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 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.