2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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 Value Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 21 schools in Illinois 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.
Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Governors State University the best value school in Illinois for public administration and social service students. GSU is a small public school located in the rural area of University Park.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GSU are $10,108 per year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from GSU take out $29,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Governors State University Report
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The excellent programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Illinois. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Macomb.
WIU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,297 in in-state 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.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $13,968 per year. 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.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Illinois State also did well on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Springfield is a great value for public administration and social service students. Located in the medium-sized city of Springfield, UIS is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIS are $12,053 a year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UIS take out is $25,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-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.
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Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. 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 in-state 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.
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Champaign.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per year. 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.
UIUC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list.
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Northeastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 per year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at Northeastern Illinois University take out an average of $15,232 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Aurora University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Aurora are $26,760 per year. 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.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Aurora University Report
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University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIC are $15,603 a year.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Illinois at Chicago Report
Request InformationBest Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings in Illinois
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 21 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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