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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

21 Ranked Colleges
1,075 Degrees Awarded
$10,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 17,269 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $48,859 and had an average of $42,077 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,650 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,951 and $36,038 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,075 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 593 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at IU Bloomington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 93 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at Ohio State University - Main Campus

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Northwest. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Northwest is a small school located in Gary, Indiana that handed out 5 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Northwest has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Northwest is $3,287 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Indiana University - Northwest Public Administration Report

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #4 spot on the list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

IUPUI also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration at IUPUI

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Public Administration Report

#6

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#7 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration at UW - Stevens Point

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 16 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Public Administration Report

#9

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. PFW is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, PFW has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,129 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend PFW.

Full PFW Public Administration Report

#10

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

GVSU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Public Administration at Grand Valley State University

#11

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oakland has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Oakland Public Administration Report

#12

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 20 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,598 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan.

Full Central Michigan Public Administration Report

#13

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio
#21 in overall quality

Franklin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Franklin University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,328 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Franklin University.

Read more about Public Administration at Franklin University

#14

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,771 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIS.

Full UIS Public Administration Report

#15

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Saginaw Valley State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,522 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Read more about Public Administration at Saginaw Valley State University

#16

Cedarville University

Cedarville, Ohio
#4 in overall quality

Cedarville University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cedarville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedarville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cedarville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,897 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cedarville.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration at Cedarville

#17

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Cleveland State University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $14,213 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Cleveland State University

#18

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $11,413 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Wayne State Public Administration Report

Miami University - Oxford landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford also took the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,759 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Public Administration at Miami University - Oxford

#20

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,904 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Michigan.

Read more about Public Administration at Eastern Michigan University

#21

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Mount Vernon, Ohio
#5 in overall quality

Mount Vernon Nazarene University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

MVNU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Vernon Nazarene University is $18,507 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%.

Full MVNU Public Administration Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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