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2024 Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region

43 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
2,575 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
Ranked #49 in popularity, public administration is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 43 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for public administration students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,575 degrees in public administration to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration School

Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region The public admin program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Administration rankings. For our Best Overall Public Administration School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Public Administration Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Public Admin
Bachelor's Degrees in Public Admin
Master's Degrees in Public Admin
Doctor's Degrees in Public Admin

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Public Administration in the Great Lakes Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public admin degree levels they offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Public Admin

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
75 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public administration. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 75 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
757 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat Indiana University - Bloomington if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 757 public administration students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public administration from Indiana University - Bloomington

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In IN
43.3% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration. IWU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Marion. A Best Colleges rank of #291 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 30 public administration students who graduated with this degree at IWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public administration from Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
185 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in public administration needs to check out Ohio State University - Main Campus. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 185 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from Ohio State University - Main Campus

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IN
190 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

IUPUI is a very large public university located in the city of Indianapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #274 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means IUPUI is a great university overall.

There were roughly 190 public administration students who graduated with this degree at IUPUI in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public administration from Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

6
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MI
95 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 95 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from Central Michigan University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IL
71 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

UIS is a small public university located in the city of Springfield. This university ranks 55th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 71 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UIS in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of Illinois at Springfield

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL
55 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were about 55 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of Illinois at Chicago

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI
96 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 96 public administration students who graduated with this degree at GVSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from Grand Valley State University

10
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MI

Located in the large suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 24 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Oakland in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public administration from Oakland University

Best Public Administration Colleges by State

Explore the best public administration schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 939 438
Michigan 915 380
Illinois 870 429
Indiana 737 1,185
Wisconsin 672 91

View All Rankings >

One of 3 majors within the Public Administration area of study, Public Administration has other similar majors worth exploring.

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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