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Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges
$51,622 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration School for You

In 2020-2021, 440 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #29 most popular major in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Grad Degree Search has created the Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois

Check out the public admin programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Public Administration Schools

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for public administration students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

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#3

Aurora University

Aurora, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Aurora University is a great place for public administration students. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.

Read full report on Public Administration at Aurora University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a small public school located in the city of Springfield.

Full Public Administration at University of Illinois at Springfield Report

Out of the 10 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the # 5 spot on the list. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Chicago.

Full Public Administration at University of Illinois at Chicago Report

#6

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

With a ranking of #6, DePaul University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at DePaul University

#7

Governors State University

University Park, IL

Governors State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public college with a small student population.

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration students. It came in at #8 on the list. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

Full Public Administration at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Carbondale.

Read full report on Public Administration at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

National Louis University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois list. NLU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Full Public Administration at National Louis University Report

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 263
Ohio 293
Indiana 449
Wisconsin 44

Public Administration is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Public Admin

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 33,631
Public Policy 3,737
Human Services 1,277
Community Organization & Advocacy 741
Other Public Administration 295

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 10 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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