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2024 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

9 Colleges in Illinois
414 Master's Degrees
$51,622 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a master's degree in public administration, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #19 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 9 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of public administration. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 414 master's degrees in public administration during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Public Administration School for Your Master's Degree

Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The public admin master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for public administration students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.


 

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Public Administration in Illinois

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for public administration students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Public Admin

1

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in public administration has to take a look at Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the public administration major at Northwestern University make $14,389 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Northwestern University

2

It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Springfield if you want to pursue a master's degree in public administration. UIS is a small public university located in the city of Springfield.

Soon after graduating, public admin master's recipients typically earn about $48,642 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Illinois at Springfield

3

It is hard to beat University of Illinois at Chicago if you wish to pursue a master's degree in public administration. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public admin program state that they receive average early career wages of $52,003.

More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Illinois at Chicago

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

DePaul University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in public administration. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public admin program report average early career earnings of $53,383.

More information about a master’s in public administration from DePaul University

5

SIUE is a large public university located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public admin program report average early career income of $40,957.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

6
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
29 Annual Graduates

Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Aurora.More information about a master’s in public administration from Aurora University

7

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those public administration students who get their master's degree from Northern Illinois University earn $7,978 more than the average public admin graduate.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Northern Illinois University

8
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, IL
19 Annual Graduates

Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in public administration from Governors State University

9
15 Annual Graduates

NLU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in public administration from National Louis University

9

SIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Carbondale.

Master's students who receive their degree from the public admin program make an average of $40,759 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 211 253
Ohio 207 283
Indiana 191 432
Wisconsin 173 44

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One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Administration has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Admin Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 414

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Policy 303
Community Organization & Advocacy 40
Human Services 26
Other Public Administration 4

Notes and References

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