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Best Public Policy Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Public Policy Schools in Illinois

6 Colleges
$49,931 Avg Salary
$20,247 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Policy School for You

In 2020-2021, 536 degrees and certificates were awarded to public policy students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #60 most popular major in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Public Policy Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 6 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Policy Schools in Illinois

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

Top Illinois Schools in Public Policy

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

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

While working on their degree, public policy majors at UChicago accumulate an average of around $16,683 in student debt.

Full Public Policy at University of Chicago Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Out of the 6 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.

While working on their degree, public policy majors at Northwestern accumulate an average of around $17,059 in student debt.

Full Public Policy at Northwestern University Report

#3

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

The excellent programs at Olivet Nazarene University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best public policy schools in Illinois. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais.

Read full report on Public Policy at Olivet Nazarene University

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Chicago is a great place for public policy students. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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

The excellent programs at Loyola University Chicago helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public policy schools in Illinois. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Read full report on Public Policy at Loyola University Chicago

#6

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

DePaul University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public Policy Schools in Illinois list. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

The average amount in student loans that public policy majors at DePaul take out is $27,000.

Read More…

Best Public Policy Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 267
Ohio 37
Indiana 8
Wisconsin 29

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

Majors Similar to Public Policy

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Public Administration 16,905
Human Services 13,238
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 6 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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