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2022 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

30 Ranked Colleges
4,107 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 97,666 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 30 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 286 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 721 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $7,934 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 235 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $13,351 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Public Administration & Social Service Report

#4

Lake Land College

Mattoon, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lake Land College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Mattoon, Illinois, this small public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lake Land College has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Land College is $6,770 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Lake Land College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 369 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,683 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Public Administration & Social Service Report

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 134 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $11,857 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UIS

#7

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

Southwestern Illinois College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Belleville, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SWIC is $8,720 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SWIC Public Administration & Social Service Report

#8

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 656 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $15,881 for illinois 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 Aurora

#9

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois

Judson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Judson is a small school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 33 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Judson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Judson University is $15,971 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Judson

#10

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Quincy, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Quincy U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy University is $16,717 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Quincy University Public Administration & Social Service Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 96 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SIUE

#12

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 98 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, GSU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $11,872 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full GSU Public Administration & Social Service Report

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 46 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, WIU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,912 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#14

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,346 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #15, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 144 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,985 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #16, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 174 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,180 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#17

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $19,080 for illinois 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%.

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

#18

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 37 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $14,220 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

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

#19

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $17,841 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Olivet Nazarene University

#20

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Augustine College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Augustine College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,013 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Augustine College.

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

#21

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 82 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $18,582 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Dominican University

#22

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,390 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Millikin University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

#23

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, National Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. National Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,888 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NLU.

Full National Louis University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,023 for illinois public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSU.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full CSU Public Administration & Social Service Report

#25

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $22,865 for Illinois Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Bradley

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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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