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2024 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois

21 Colleges in Illinois
3,959 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$41,772 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in public administration & social service is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #14 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 21 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,959 degrees in public administration & social service during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois Your choice of public administration & social service school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public administration & social service schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Public Administration & Social Service Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Master's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Doctor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in Illinois

The schools below may not offer all types of public administration & social service degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
586 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$55,702 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 586 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of about $13,930 above the typical income of public administration & social service majors.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Chicago

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
229 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$71,872 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service needs to look into Northwestern University. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 229 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of around $30,100 above the average income of public administration & social service graduates.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$40,501 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 231 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program report average early career earnings of $40,501.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
331 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$42,843 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service has to take a look at Loyola University Chicago. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 331 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program report average early career income of $42,843.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Loyola University Chicago

5
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
742 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
11.6% Growth in Graduates

Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Aurora. A Best Colleges rank of #354 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Aurora is a great university overall.

There were about 742 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make around $37,201 for their early career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Aurora University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
333 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$48,269 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 333 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Illinois at Chicago receive an earnings boost of around $6,497 over the typical earnings of public administration & social service majors.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Illinois at Chicago

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were about 88 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. After graduating, public administration & social service degree recipients typically make about $34,581 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Illinois State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
11.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 39th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 52 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program state that they receive average early career earnings of $32,654.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Western Illinois University

9
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$42,146 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of River Forest, Dominican U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 30th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 78 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Dominican U in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make an average of $42,146 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Dominican University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$41,361 Median Starting Salary

UIS is a small public university located in the city of Springfield. This university ranks 55th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 109 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UIS in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program state that they receive average early career wages of $41,361.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Illinois at Springfield

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 3,145
Michigan 38 3,343
Ohio 38 3,018
Wisconsin 37 1,297

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Public Policy 536
Public Administration 446
Community Organization & Advocacy 122
Human Services 96
Other Public Administration 39

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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