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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

21 Ranked Colleges
1,075 Degrees Awarded
$37,225 Avg Salary
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Public Administration is the 58th most popular major in the country with 17,269 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 $48-$75k.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,060 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k 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 more about Public Administration at IU Bloomington

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,982 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Public Administration at Ohio State University - Main Campus

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $13,304 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at UW - La Crosse

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Northwest landed the #4 spot on the list. IU Northwest is a public institution located in Gary, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Northwest is $9,473 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #5 spot on the list. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 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 $48-$75k list, IUPUI has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at IUPUI

#6

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#7 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also took the #7 spot 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 $14,165 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Public Administration Report

#14 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $11,857 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at UIS

#8

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Franklin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, Franklin University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,869 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Franklin University.

Read more about Public Administration at Franklin University

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Green Bay has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $14,584 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at UW - Green Bay

#10

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 16 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 $48-$75k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,941 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at UW - Whitewater

#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 $48-$75k list. Oakland 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 $48-$75k list, Oakland has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $10,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Oakland Public Administration Report

#12

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $15,775 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full GVSU Public Administration Report

#13

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University Fort Wayne is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It awarded 45 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PFW, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for PFW is $12,023 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full PFW Public Administration Report

#14

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $14,591 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Central Michigan University.

Read full report on Public Administration at Central Michigan

#15

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Saginaw Valley State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saginaw Valley State University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $14,230 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Public Administration Report

#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 $48-$75k ranking. Cedarville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedarville, Ohio. It awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin 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 $19,267 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cedarville.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Cedarville University

#17

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s 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 University is $13,668 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Wayne State University

#18

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan 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 $48-$75k ranking. Eastern Michigan 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 $48-$75k 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 $16,042 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Full Eastern Michigan University Public Administration Report

#19

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Mount Vernon, Ohio
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Mount Vernon Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. MVNU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mount Vernon, Ohio. It awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MVNU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,787 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration at MVNU

#20

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cleveland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $18,338 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Cleveland State University Public Administration Report

Miami University - Oxford ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $23,232 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k 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

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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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