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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Illinois (With Aid)

26 Ranked Colleges
1,211 Degrees Awarded
$18,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 26 colleges that offered a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Illinois (With Aid)

#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 #1 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. 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 yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University Park, 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 44 students in 2019-2020.

GSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

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

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

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%.

Full UIC Public Administration & Social Service Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 22 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

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

#5

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Augustine College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. St. Augustine College is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

St. Augustine College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,193 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend St. Augustine College.

Full St. Augustine College Public Administration & Social Service Report

#6

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Aurora University

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, WIU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Full WIU Public Administration & Social Service Report

#12 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

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. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Public Administration & Social Service Report

#11 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 132 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#10

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Judson University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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.

Judson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Judson is $18,737 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

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.

Full Judson Public Administration & Social Service Report

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

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. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

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

#12

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Quincy University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Quincy, 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 14 students in 2019-2020.

Quincy U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,497 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Quincy University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Quincy U

#13

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at NIU

#14

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 139 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Public Administration & Social Service Report

#15

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. National Louis University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 45 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NLU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,957 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend National Louis University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at NLU

#16

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

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

#17

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Joliet, 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 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of St Francis

#18

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Dominican University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. River Forest, 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 5 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, Dominican U has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Dominican 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at Dominican University

#19

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

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 Olivet Nazarene Public Administration & Social Service Report

#20

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Concordia University, Chicago

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Millikin University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

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 Millikin

#22

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 129 bachelors’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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $27,315 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend University of Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#23

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at Bradley University

#24

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Trinity Christian College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Trinity Christian College is a small school located in Palos Heights, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Christian, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,904 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Trinity Christian.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 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.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Trinity Christian

#25

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 57 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 with aid list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Loyola University 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on 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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