College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for Public Administration in Illinois

15 Ranked Colleges
$27,600 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2021-2022, 16,043 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. In , public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $51,600 and had an average of $39,769 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 395 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,622 and $37,949 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in public administration. That schools that top this list have a program in public administration in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois public admin students.

Top 15 Most Focused Colleges for Public Administration in Illinois

1

Out of the 15 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Public Administration Report

2
Adler crest
Adler University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Adler University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Public Administration at Adler University

3
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Governors State University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 38 ’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GSU Public Administration Report

4

Out of the 15 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Illinois Tech

5
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Out of the 15 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Aurora University landed the #5 spot on the list. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 20 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Aurora University

6

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 23 ’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at SIUE

7
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at DePaul

8

Northern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 33 ’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NIU Public Administration Report

9
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Administration at Northwestern University

10
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 15 ’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NLU Public Administration Report

11

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Public Administration Report

12
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Roosevelt

13

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Administration at SIUC

14
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois ranking. Romeoville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Lewis University

15
Blackburn crest
Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois

Blackburn College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in Illinois list. Blackburn College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlinville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Blackburn College Public Administration Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options