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Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois

21 Colleges
$41,772 Avg Salary
$26,600 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

With 3,948 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, public administration and social service is the #13 most popular major in Illinois.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 21 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for public administration and social service majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from Northwestern take out $16,780 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Chicago is a great place for public administration and social service students. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UChicago take out is $16,683.

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Out of the 21 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 3 spot on the list. UIUC is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at UIUC take out an average of $19,050 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $418, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from WIU take out $31,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $228.

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#5

Aurora University

Aurora, IL

Out of the 21 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Aurora University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Aurora take out is $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $135.

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Illinois State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Illinois State take out is $25,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $160.

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#7

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at Olivet Nazarene take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#8

Dominican University

River Forest, IL

Dominican University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of River Forest.

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Loyola University Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Loyola Chicago accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $685.

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University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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

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

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 3,206
Michigan 3,411
Ohio 3,030
Wisconsin 1,299

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Public Administration 16,905
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Majors Similar to Public Administration & Social Service

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 142,610
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 73,813
Legal Professions 61,055
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,477

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 21 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 University of the Fraser Valley.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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