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Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois

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2023 Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois

58 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 Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 58 schools in Illinois to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Public Administration & Social Service program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Public Administration & Social Service Colleges.

#1

Aurora University

Aurora, IL

Our analysis found Aurora University to be the most popular school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Aurora accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $135.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Aurora University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Out of the 58 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UChicago carry an average student debt load of $16,683.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Loyola University Chicago is a great place for public administration and social service students. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Loyola Chicago take out is $25,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $685.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Loyola University Chicago Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small 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.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#6

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #6 on the list. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Northwestern take out is $16,780.

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Northeastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Northeastern Illinois University accumulate an average of around $15,232 in student debt.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Northeastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools in Illinois list. Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at SIUC accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $149.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Springfield, UIS is a public school with a small student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from UIS take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular public administration and social service programs. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from SIUE carry an average student debt load of $25,000.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

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

Explore all the Most Popular Public Administration & Social Service Colleges 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 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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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