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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service

21 Ranked Colleges
3,959 Degrees Awarded
$28,200 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 3,959 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,772 and $26,600 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer 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 offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying public administration & social service.

Top 21 Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

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 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 586 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago, 241 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. On top of their other funding sources, 58 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

2

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 231 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Full UIUC Veteran Student Life Report

3

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 333 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, UIC supports 33,518 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of Illinois at Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

4
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Aurora University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service. Aurora is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 742 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,999. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Aurora University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full Aurora University Veteran Student Life Report

5
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Loyola University Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 331 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 261 of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Chicago does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Loyola Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 101 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 12,860 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

7

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 118 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Veteran Student Life Report

8

With a ranking of #8, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State University were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois State]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

9
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Saint Francis also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 3,529 students enrolled at University of Saint Francis were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,734. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

10

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 52 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, WIU supports 7,490 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. WIU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

11
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 93 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

DePaul also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, DePaul supports 21,922 students, and 528 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 367 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 DePaul Veteran Student Life Report

12

With a ranking of #12, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 163 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying public administration & social service list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Northeastern Illinois University supports 7,119 students, and 147 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 83 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,460. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 229 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read More…

14

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 109 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 214 of the 4,146 students enrolled at UIS were GI Bill® students, of which 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,253. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Veteran Student Life Report

15
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. To help with additional expenses, 11 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Olivet Nazarene Veteran Student Life Report

16
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 94 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

GSU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 146 of the 4,650 students enrolled at Governors State University were GI Bill® students, of which 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,291. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Governors State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at GSU]](/colleges/governors-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

17

Northern Illinois University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 50 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Northern Illinois University supports 16,769 students, and 480 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 207 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at NIU]](/colleges/northern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

18
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, National Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. NLU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 75 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

NLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 7,402 students enrolled at National Louis University, 15 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,078. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. National Louis University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full National Louis University Veteran Student Life Report

19
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 78 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 3,189 students enrolled at Dominican U, 37 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,038. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad 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 veteran student life at Dominican U]](/colleges/dominican-university/student-life/veterans/)

20
The Erikson Institute crest
Erikson Institute
Chicago, Illinois

Erikson Institute landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 39 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying public administration & social service list, The Erikson Institute has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 457 students enrolled at Erikson Institute, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Erikson Institute Veteran Student Life Report

21
St. Augustine College crest
Saint Augustine College
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College ranked #21 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service list. Saint Augustine College is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying public administration & social service list, St. Augustine College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 6 of the 901 students enrolled at Saint Augustine College were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,227. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at St. Augustine College]](/colleges/saint-augustine-college/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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