College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Great Lakes Region

43 Ranked Colleges
2,575 Degrees Awarded
$15,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Administration is the 49th most popular major in the country with 16,897 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

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

For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree in public administration. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large school is located in Marion, Indiana, and it awarded 30 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

IWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,904 for great lakes region public admin students per year to attend IWU.

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 IWU Public Administration Report

2
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 95 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $16,007 for great lakes region public admin students.

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%.

Full Central Michigan Public Administration Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIS also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,034 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 University of Illinois at Springfield

4

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students list, GVSU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

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%.

Full GVSU Public Administration Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

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

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 UW - La Crosse

6

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students list, Indiana University - South Bend has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $9,646 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - South Bend

7

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,462 for great lakes region public admin students.

Full SIUE Public Administration Report

8

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Akron Main Campus

9
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 29 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Aurora also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $16,994 for great lakes region public admin students.

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 Aurora University

10

Northern Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Northern Illinois University

11

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,092 for great lakes region public admin students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Full UW - Green Bay Public Administration Report

12
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
Indianapolis, Indiana

Purdue University Global ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Global is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 52 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Purdue University Global Public Administration Report

13
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana State University is a medium-sized school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 16 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State is $14,270 for great lakes region public admin students.

Full Indiana State Public Administration Report

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,417 for great lakes region public admin students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Public Administration Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Indiana University - Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Gary, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

IU Northwest also took 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.

Full IU Northwest Public Administration Report

16

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $14,687 for great lakes region public admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at UW Oshkosh

17
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan University is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Eastern Michigan also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

Read more about Public Administration at Eastern Michigan

18

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,831 for great lakes region public admin students per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Public Administration Report

19

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 190 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for great lakes region public admin students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at IUPUI

20
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in Marquette, Michigan, and it awarded 10 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Michigan University is $15,214 for great lakes region public admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Northern Michigan University

21
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 50 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $31,174 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students per year to attend DePaul.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul Public Administration Report

22
Franklin University crest
Franklin University
Columbus, Ohio

With a ranking of #22, Franklin University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Franklin University is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Franklin University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,201 for great lakes region public admin students per year to attend Franklin University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Franklin University

23
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 24 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region public admin students list, Oakland has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

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%.

Full Oakland Public Administration Report

24

Cleveland State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 31 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Cleveland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

Full Cleveland State University Public Administration Report

25

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 55 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Public Admin students.

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%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Illinois at Chicago

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options