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Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges
$52,728 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration Master's Degree 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.

The Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 10 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for public admin majors pursuing a master's degree.

Top 10 Best Public Administration Master's Degree 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 master’s degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very 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 Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

Full Public Administration at Northern Illinois University Report

#3

Aurora University

Aurora, IL

Out of the 10 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Aurora University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.

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Out of the 10 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the # 4 spot on the list. UIC is a very large public school located in the large city of Chicago.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Springfield is a great place for public administration students working on their master’s degree. UIS is a small public school located in the city of Springfield.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Illinois at Springfield

#6

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

DePaul University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at DePaul University

#7

Governors State University

University Park, IL

Governors State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree public administration programs. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public college with a small student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at Governors State University

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

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

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National Louis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. NLU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Read full report on Public Administration at National Louis University

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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