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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

Public Administration is the #71 most popular major in Illinois with 446 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois ranking. 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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Out of the 10 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the # 2 spot on the list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the small 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 large suburb of Aurora.

Full Public Administration at Aurora University Report

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Chicago is a great place for public administration students. UIC is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a small public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.

Full Public Administration at University of Illinois at Springfield Report

#6

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

DePaul University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at DePaul University

#7

Governors State University

University Park, IL

With a ranking of #7, Governors State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.

Full Public Administration at Governors State University Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUE is a large public school located in the large 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. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Carbondale.

Full Public Administration at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

With a ranking of #10, National Louis University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students. NLU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the 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 386
Ohio 443
Indiana 1,198
Wisconsin 91

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

Majors Similar to Public Admin

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

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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