College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2027 Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in the United States
273 Public Administration Degrees Awarded
$59,338 Avg Early-Career Salary

Public Administration is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best public administration schools.

What’s on this page:

Best Schools for Public Administration in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall public administration education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Public Administration

1

Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 school for public administration. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Evanston. Northwestern University graduates 95% of students within six years. Northwestern University awarded about 67 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $73,260. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in public administration from Northwestern University

2

Illinois Institute Of Technology came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best public administration schools. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. About 13 public administration degrees were awarded at Illinois Institute Of Technology in the most recent year. Public Administration graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $71,315 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,774. Read more about the public administration program at Illinois Institute Of Technology

3

University Of Illinois At Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in public administration, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. There were roughly 32 public administration students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Chicago generally make around $59,815. University Of Illinois At Chicago graduates carry a median of $20,115 in student loans. More information about a degree in public administration from University Of Illinois At Chicago

4
Depaul University crest
Depaul University
Chicago, IL

Depaul University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best public administration schools. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. About 14 public administration degrees were awarded at Depaul University in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration degree from Depaul University earn around $65,378 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,340 to complete this degree. See the full public administration program report for Depaul University

5

Northern Illinois University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in public administration, ranking #5. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public university. Northern Illinois University graduates 49% of students within six years. About 23 public administration degrees were awarded at Northern Illinois University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $62,849. Typical student debt for the program is $25,209. See the full public administration program report for Northern Illinois University

6

National Louis University earned the #6 position for public administration this year. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 30% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 13 public administration students who graduated with this degree at National Louis University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration degree from National Louis University earn around $53,733 in the first couple years of their career. National Louis University graduates carry a median of $29,242 in student loans. Read more about the public administration program at National Louis University

7

University Of Illinois At Springfield came in at #7 for public administration this year. University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Springfield. About 52% of students finish within six years. About 55 public administration degrees were awarded at University Of Illinois At Springfield in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration degree from University Of Illinois At Springfield earn around $61,014 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,925 to complete this degree. Get the full public administration details for University Of Illinois At Springfield

8
Aurora University crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL

Aurora University came in at #8 for public administration this year. Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. There were roughly 16 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Aurora University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the public administration program make about $42,605 in their early career. Aurora University graduates carry a median of $24,507 in student loans. Read more about the public administration program at Aurora University

9

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #9 spot for public administration this year. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 55%. About 25 public administration degrees were awarded at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the most recent year. Graduates of the public administration program make about $51,703 in their early career. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates carry a median of $23,917 in student loans. Get the full public administration details for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

10
Governors State University crest
Governors State University
University Park, IL

Governors State University landed the #10 spot for public administration this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of University Park. About 21% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 15 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Governors State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Governors State University generally make around $51,711. Students borrow a median of $24,990 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in public administration from Governors State University

View All Public Administration Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options