2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, public administration and social service was ranked #14 in the country. In fact 98,583 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 108 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for public administration and social service students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Check out the public administration and social service programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
Top 15% Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for public administration and social service students. IWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at IWU are $9,239 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at IWU take out an average of $41,872 in student loans while working on their egree.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Central Ohio Technical College is a great value for public administration and social service students. COTC is a small public school located in the suburb of Newark.
COTC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,656 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from COTC carry an average student debtload of $14,168.
Out of the 108 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Youngstown State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Youngstown.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Youngstown State University are $9,732 a year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Youngstown State University take out $39,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Youngstown State University Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school located in the town of River Falls.
UW - River Falls undergraduate students pay an average of $15,661 in tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UW - River Falls take out $28,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - River Falls is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Wisconsin - River Falls Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Milwaukee. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ottawa University - Milwaukee is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Brookfield.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee undergraduate students pay an average of $12,616 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Ottawa University - Milwaukee take out is $43,673.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Ottawa University - Milwaukee
Spring Arbor University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spring Arbor.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Spring Arbor are $31,080 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Spring Arbor carry an average student debtload of $29,893.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Spring Arbor University
With a ranking of #7, Ferris State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the distant town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ferris are $13,188 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Ferris accumulate an average of around $26,250 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $176, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Ferris State University Report
Stark State College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Stark State College is a large public school located in the large suburb of North Canton.
Stark State College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,406 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Stark State College carry an average student debtload of $29,672.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Stark State College Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the city of Eau Claire.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 a year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UW - Eau Claire take out is $23,961.
UW - Eau Claire also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #10, Indiana Institute of Technology - College of Professional Studies did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the city of Fort-Wayne, Indiana Tech - CPS is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Indiana Tech - CPS are $10,224 a year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Indiana Tech - CPS carry an average student debtload of $47,683.
Western Illinois University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Macomb.
WIU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,297 in tuition and fees each year. 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.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Western Illinois University
With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Superior did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. UW - Superior is a small public school located in the suburb of Superior.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Superior are $15,728 per year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UW - Superior take out $29,333 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Wisconsin - Superior Report
Ohio Christian University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the distant town of Circleville, OCU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at OCU are $14,395 a year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at OCU take out is $26,779.
With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
Northern Illinois University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public college with a large student population.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at NIU take out an average of $26,989 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Northern Illinois University Report
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the small city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW Oshkosh are $15,306 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at UW Oshkosh accumulate an average of around $28,411 in student debt.
UW Oshkosh also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Public & Social Service students in the Great Lakes Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | University of Akron Main Campus | Akron, OH |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
| 19 | Saint Augustine College | Chicago, IL |
| 20 | Aurora University | Aurora, IL |
| 20 | Rasmussen University - Wisconsin | Green Bay, WI |
Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges by State
Explore the best public administration and social service colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 3,206 |
| Michigan | 3,411 |
| Ohio | 3,030 |
| Illinois | 3,948 |
| Wisconsin | 1,299 |
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors for Public Administration & Social Service
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 25 schools only.
- 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.
.jpg){kind=link}
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.