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

26 Ranked Colleges
1,211 Degrees Awarded
$32,032 Avg Salary
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Illinois, there were 4,107 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,470 and $33,864 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,211 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration and social service programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. UChicago 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 also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $7,934 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 100%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 139 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for illinois 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for Illinois 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 low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 UIUC Public Administration & Social Service Report

#4

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Aurora University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,881 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Aurora.

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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Aurora

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $11,857 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UIS

#12 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $13,705 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at SIUE

#8 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UIC

#8

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Judson University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Judson is a small school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Judson, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Judson is $15,971 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Judson

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Governors State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, GSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GSU is $11,872 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full GSU Public Administration & Social Service Report

#10

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Quincy University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Quincy U also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy U is $16,717 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Quincy University

#14 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,985 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at WIU

#13

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $18,346 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full Northern Illinois University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#11 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 132 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Northeastern Illinois University

#15

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Illinois State

#16

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of St Francis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Saint Francis

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,841 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Olivet Nazarene

#18

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Saint Augustine College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, St. Augustine College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Augustine College is $15,013 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at St. Augustine College

#19

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

National Louis University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. NLU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 45 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, NLU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,888 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend National Louis University.

Full National Louis University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#20

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Millikin University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Millikin University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Millikin University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#21

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 20 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $22,865 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#22

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #25 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,295 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Concordia University, Chicago

#23

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $18,582 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Dominican U Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Trinity Christian College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Trinity Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Christian is $20,888 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Trinity Christian College Public Administration & Social Service Report

#25

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $32,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Loyola University Chicago

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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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