2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Illinois
[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for public administration students.
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2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the public administration degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Public Administration Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Springfield, our #1 best value for public administration in Illinois. Located in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,557, with out-of-state students paying around $20,139. Students borrow a median of $24,925 to complete the public administration program here. Public Administration graduates of University Of Illinois At Springfield earn a median of $61,014 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Springfield admits about 86% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Illinois At Chicago earned it the #2 place for public administration. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $20,115 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Chicago generally make around $59,815. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Chicago admits about 77% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public administration will find it at Governors State University, which ranked #3. Governors State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of University Park. In-state tuition and fees average $12,004. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $24,990. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Governors State University generally make around $51,711. Set against $24,990 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 48%.
Students looking for strong value in public administration will find it at Northern Illinois University, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,060. Students borrow a median of $25,209 to complete the public administration program here. Public Administration graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median of $62,849 early in their careers. Set against $25,209 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public administration, landing the #5 spot this year. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,092. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $23,917. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $51,703. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
National Louis University came in at #6 for value in public administration this year. Located in the city of Chicago, National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $13,245 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $29,242 to complete the public administration program here. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from National Louis University generally make around $53,733. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Illinois Institute Of Technology landed the #7 spot for public administration value this year. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $52,202. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $26,774 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $71,315 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,774 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Aurora University landed the #8 spot for public administration value this year. Set in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $29,170. Students borrow a median of $24,507 to complete the public administration program here. Public Administration graduates of Aurora University earn a median of $42,605 early in their careers. Set against $24,507 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Aurora University admits about 81% of applicants.
Northwestern University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value public administration schools. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $73,260. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Depaul University earned the #10 position for value in public administration this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $25,310. Early-career public administration graduates make about $65,378. That is a strong return on a $25,310 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
