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2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

111 Ranked Colleges
6,464 Degrees Awarded
$32,299 Avg Salary
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 97,666 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $39,142 and had an average of $32,304 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 15,401 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,285 and $30,558 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,464 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 111 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration and social service. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration and social service programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service 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 Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UChicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 139 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $6,452 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full Northwestern Public Administration & Social Service Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 77 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,028 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Public Administration & Social Service Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,227 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full UW - Madison Public Administration & Social Service Report

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UIUC

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 593 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $12,060 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Public Administration & Social Service Report

#5 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#12 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 276 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service 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 Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Ohio State

#9

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 21 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,474 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Public Administration & Social Service Report

Indiana University - Northwest ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Gary, Indiana, this small public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Northwest is $9,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at IU Northwest

#11

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service 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 Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#12

University of Wisconsin - Superior

Superior, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Superior, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Superior, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,211 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Superior.

Full UW - Superior Public Administration & Social Service Report

#13

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $10,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Oakland University

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 105 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Oshkosh, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW Oshkosh Public Administration & Social Service Report

Top 25% in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 236 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Public Administration & Social Service Report

#16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UW - Green Bay

#17

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - South Bend is a small public school situated in South Bend, Indiana. It awarded 37 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $10,585 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Indiana University - South Bend

#18

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 141 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, Aurora has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $15,881 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service 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%.

Full Aurora Public Administration & Social Service Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,304 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UW - La Crosse

#20

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
Top 25% in overall quality

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in University Center, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 92 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,230 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Saginaw Valley State University

#21

Viterbo University

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

Viterbo University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Viterbo is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Viterbo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,563 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Viterbo University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Viterbo University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#22

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $11,857 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UIS Public Administration & Social Service Report

#23

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,101 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ferris State University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Ferris State University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 38 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,705 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SIUE

#25

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Richmond, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IU East is $9,723 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Indiana University - East

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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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