2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service Master's Degree 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Public & Social Service Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 69 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value master's degree 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 Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Spring Arbor University to be the best value school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Spring Arbor.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Spring Arbor are $8,383 a year.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Spring Arbor University Report
Request Information
The excellent master’s degree programs at Ferris State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value public administration and social service schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the distant town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Ferris are $8,232 per year.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Ferris State University Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Youngstown State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Youngstown State University are $6,931 a year.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Youngstown State University
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. IWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion.
IWU graduate students pay an average of $10,440 in tuition and fees each year.
Request Information
Out of the 69 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at NIU are $11,390 per year.
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, Western Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students working on their master’s degree. WIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at WIU are $12,182 a year.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Western Illinois University Report
Request Information
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at SIUE are $9,316 per year.
Request Information
Aurora University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Aurora are $14,100 per year.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Aurora University Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #9, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students working on their master’s degree. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Illinois State are $11,773 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Illinois State is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Illinois State University
Request Information
Concordia University, Chicago came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378 per year.
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Public & Social Service Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI |
| 12 | University of Akron Main Campus | Akron, OH |
| 12 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, 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.
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.