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2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Public Administration in Illinois

13 Colleges in Illinois
426 Master's Degrees
$46,625 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #16 in popularity, public administration is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2022, College Factual analyzed 13 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Public Administration in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 426 master's degrees in public administration during the 2019-2020 academic year.

What's on this page: * Other Rankings

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

Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Public Administration in Illinois The public admin master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. We created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Public Administration in Illinois ranking to make it a little easier to choose the right one for you.

A high popularity ranking isn't always a sign that a school has a great overall quality ranking for public administration, but it does mean that many students are choosing the school for some reason. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Admin
Doctor's Degrees in Public Admin
Overall Popularity in Public Admin

We have also developed a number of other rankings to help guide you in your decision-making process. To begin with, if this is not the degree level you are most interested in, you may want to check out one of the others noted above. If you would prefer to limit your search to a specific state or region of the county, see our rankings by location. Plus, you can view our other rankings for public administration.

The following list ranks the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in public administration.

10 Most Well Attended Schools for Public Admin Students Working on Their Master's

1
91 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Best Quality In IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

University of Illinois at Chicago is a popular choice for students interested in a master's degree in public administration. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for master's degrees in public administration in Illinois.

There were about 91 public administration individuals who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public admin program report average early career wages of $46,600.

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

2
85 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in public administration. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in public administration in Illinois.

There were about 85 public administration individuals who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

Those public administration students who get their master's degree from Northwestern University receive $16,575 more than the standard public admin student.

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

3
63 Annual Master's Degrees
#3 Best Quality In IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at University of Illinois at Springfield if you wish to pursue a master's degree in public administration. UIS is a small public university located in the medium-sized city of Springfield. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in public administration in Illinois.

There were roughly 63 public administration individuals who graduated with this degree at UIS in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduation, public admin master's recipients generally earn about $45,900 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
42 Annual Master's Degrees
#5 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at DePaul University if you want to pursue a master's degree in public administration. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for master's degrees in public administration in Illinois.

There were approximately 42 public administration individuals who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's recipients from the public administration major at DePaul University get $5,275 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

5
34 Annual Master's Degrees
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

There were approximately 34 public administration individuals who graduated with this degree at Illinois Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Illinois Institute of Technology

6
32 Annual Master's Degrees
#6 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for master's degrees in public administration in Illinois.

There were about 32 public administration individuals who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, public admin master's recipients generally earn around $48,400 in their early careers.

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

7
29 Annual Master's Degrees
#7 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

SIUE is a large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #7 in quality for master's degrees in public administration in Illinois.

There were approximately 29 public administration individuals who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public admin program state that they receive average early career income of $41,300.

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

8
14 Annual Master's Degrees
#4 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Aurora. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #4 in quality for master's degrees in public administration in Illinois.

There were roughly 14 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent year we have data available.

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

9
12 Annual Master's Degrees
#10 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

NLU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.

There were about 12 public administration students who graduated with this degree at NLU in the most recent year we have data available.

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

10
8 Annual Master's Degrees
#11 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.

There were about 8 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Roosevelt in the most recent data year.

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

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Michigan203356
Ohio195301
Indiana181512
Wisconsin16643

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Administration has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Admin Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Public Administration426

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Social Work1,729
Public Policy382
Community Organization & Advocacy54
Human Services51
Other Public Administration7

Notes and References

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