2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration in the Great Lakes Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students 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 estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
Read more about Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 63 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Mount Vernon Nazarene University is located in Mount Vernon, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students list, MVNU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,282 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
The school has an impressive 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 Mount Vernon Nazarene University
With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students list, UIS has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Public Administration Report
Cleveland State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cleveland State University, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Cleveland State University.
Full Cleveland State University Public Administration Report
Central Michigan University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Central Michigan.
Read full report on Public Administration at Central Michigan
Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 45 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students 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. It costs about $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Full Purdue University Fort Wayne Public Administration Report
Eastern Michigan University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students.
Full Eastern Michigan University Public Administration Report
Indiana University - Northwest ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Gary, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Northwest, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Northwest is $7,755 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students.
Franklin University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Franklin University also took the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $12,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students.
Cedarville University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cedarville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students 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. The estimated yearly cost for Cedarville is $21,727 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 5 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Oakland also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized school located in University Center, Michigan that handed out 2 bachelors’s public admin 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 $14,248 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.
Read full report on Public Administration at Saginaw Valley State University
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public admin students per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - Bloomington
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s 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 estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
With a ranking of #20, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school handed out 24 diplomas 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 list, Wayne State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,965 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Wayne State University.
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 22 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,323 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on 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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.
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