by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Public Administration is the 60th most popular major in the country with 16,043 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 2,265 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,455 and $33,366 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,275 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,182 and $43,142 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 52 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.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree public admin students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Calumet College of Saint Joseph. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Whiting, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2021-2022.
Read more about Public Administration at Calumet College of Saint Joseph
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 54 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 52 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Franklin University landed the #3 spot on the list. Franklin University is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 34 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Adler University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region. Adler is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Out of the 52 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Northwest landed the #5 spot on the list. Indiana University - Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 7 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
With a ranking of #6, University of Michigan - Flint did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UM Flint is a medium-sized public school situated in Flint, Michigan. It awarded 29 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of Michigan - Flint
Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - South Bend
Governors State University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 38 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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.
Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Indiana University - Kokomo landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IU Kokomo is a public institution located in Kokomo, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 155 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Aurora University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 20 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Aurora University
Central Michigan University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Central Michigan
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students 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%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 23 masters’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%.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Public Administration Report
Saginaw Valley State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Full Saginaw Valley State University Public Administration Report
With a ranking of #18, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 35 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 33 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Northwestern University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 87 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #21, National Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 15 students 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%.
Indiana State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Terre Haute, Indiana. It awarded 10 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #23, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 59 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Grand Valley State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 35 masters’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 our data sources and methodologies
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