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2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

42 Ranked Colleges
2,575 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 16,897 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 49th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,575 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #1 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 757 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - Bloomington

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 190 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students with aid list, IUPUI has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IUPUI Public Administration Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Northwest. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Indiana University - Northwest is a small school located in Gary, Indiana that handed out 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Northwest, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Northwest is $6,363 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - Northwest

4

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - South Bend landed the #4 spot on the list. South Bend, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students with aid list, Indiana University - South Bend has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,646 for great lakes region public admin students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read more about Public Administration at Indiana University - South Bend

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 71 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,034 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIS Public Administration Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,214 for great lakes region public admin students with aid per year to attend UIC.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Public Administration Report

7

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 185 students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Public Administration at Ohio State

8

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students with aid list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

9
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Central Michigan also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region public admin students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Central Michigan

10
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $13,449 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Oakland

11
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $23,279 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration at Northwestern

12
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in University Center, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students with aid list, Saginaw Valley State University has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,279 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Saginaw Valley State University

13

With a ranking of #13, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 96 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $17,356 for great lakes region public admin students with aid per year to attend GVSU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at GVSU

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Oshkosh also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $14,687 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

15

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 16 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $13,092 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration at UW - Green Bay

16
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #16, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 52 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,629 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid per year to attend PFW.

Full PFW Public Administration Report

17
Franklin University crest
Franklin University
Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 41 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Franklin University, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $7,201 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Franklin University Public Administration Report

18
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #18, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Ball State University

19
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Indiana State University is a public institution located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $14,270 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

Full Indiana State University Public Administration Report

20

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UM Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $12,855 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at UM Dearborn

21
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 25 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration at Eastern Michigan University

22

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,417 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Public Administration Report

23

University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 30 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,689 for great lakes region public admin students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Michigan - Flint

24
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $20,371 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at WMU

25
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Wayne State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $13,962 for great lakes region public admin students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration at Wayne State University

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References

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