2026 Best Value Political Science Schools in Florida
[Political Science](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-science/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 28 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value political science schools.
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2026 Best Value Political Science Schools in Florida
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in political science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Political Science Schools
For return on investment in political science, no school beat University Of Florida this year. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,381, while out-of-state students pay about $28,659. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $16,068. Early-career political science graduates make about $31,574. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 24% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florida Atlantic University earned it the #2 place for political science. Set in the city of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,879 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $18,500. Early-career political science graduates make about $31,641. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 66%.
University Of South Florida Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value political science schools. University Of South Florida Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Tampa. Students from in state pay about $6,410 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $20,609. Early-career political science graduates make about $34,965. That is a strong return on a $20,609 median debt. Roughly 43% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florida International University earned it the #4 place for political science. Florida International University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Miami. Students from in state pay about $6,565 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,964. Political Science graduates carry a median of $15,250 in student loans. Political Science graduates of Florida International University earn a median of $26,983 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,250 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of West Florida earned it the #5 place for political science. Set in the rural area of Pensacola, The University Of West Florida is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,776, with out-of-state students paying around $18,658. Political Science graduates carry a median of $19,677 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from The University Of West Florida generally make around $34,484. That is a strong return on a $19,677 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #6 spot for political science value this year. Set in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,118, with out-of-state students paying around $25,162. Students borrow a median of $21,478 to complete the political science program here. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from Florida Gulf Coast University generally make around $35,578. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Florida State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value political science schools. Florida State University is a very large public school located in the city of Tallahassee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,517, with out-of-state students paying around $21,683. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $18,700. Early-career political science graduates make about $40,695. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 24% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Florida earned the #8 position for value in political science this year. Set in the city of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,964, with out-of-state students paying around $19,407. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $17,276. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from University Of North Florida generally make around $37,841. That is a strong return on a $17,276 median debt. Roughly 53% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Central Florida placed #9 among the best values for political science. University Of Central Florida is a very large public school located in the suburb of Orlando. In-state tuition and fees average $6,368, with out-of-state students paying around $22,467. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $21,344. Early-career political science graduates make about $35,937. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 40% of applicants are accepted.
Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University placed #10 among the best values for political science. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,785, while out-of-state students pay about $17,725. Political Science graduates carry a median of $28,141 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University generally make around $30,798. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University admits about 21% of applicants.
Stetson University landed the #11 spot for political science value this year. Stetson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of DeLand. In-state tuition and fees average $57,410. Political Science graduates carry a median of $23,750 in student loans. Early-career political science graduates make about $26,839. That is a strong return on a $23,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Flagler College St Augustine ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value political science schools. Set in the suburb of Saint Augustine, Flagler College St Augustine is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $29,900. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $25,547. Early-career political science graduates make about $33,583. Set against $25,547 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Nova Southeastern University came in at #13 for value in political science this year. Located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,700. Students borrow a median of $25,021 to complete the political science program here. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from Nova Southeastern University generally make around $70,595. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Rollins College landed the #14 spot for political science value this year. Rollins College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Winter Park. Students from in state pay about $60,580 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,362 to complete the political science program here. Early-career political science graduates make about $36,309. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 48%.
Keiser University Ft Lauderdale earned the #15 position for value in political science this year. Keiser University Ft Lauderdale is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Lauderdale. In-state tuition and fees average $25,056. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $36,416. Early-career political science graduates make about $45,965. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tampa landed the #16 spot for political science value this year. Located in the city of Tampa, The University Of Tampa is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $34,408. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the political science program here. Early-career political science graduates make about $40,505. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. The University Of Tampa admits about 40% of applicants.
University Of Miami placed #17 among the best values for political science. University Of Miami is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Coral Gables. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,616. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $17,500. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from University Of Miami generally make around $33,867. That is a strong return on a $17,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 19%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 28 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 18 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.
