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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s

19 Ranked Colleges
1,170 Degrees Awarded
$34,412 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 3,959 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,772 and $26,600 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,170 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration and social service programs as well as strong veteran support.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s”.

Top 19 Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 68 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 105 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Chicago supports 17,834 students, and 241 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 113 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. During this same period, 58 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

3
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Aurora University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 168 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,999. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Aurora University Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 40 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 60 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Southern Illinois University Carbondale supports 11,366 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SIUC]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)

6
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Loyola Chicago supports 16,893 students, and 261 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 165 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Loyola University Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

7

Illinois State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full Illinois State University Veteran Student Life Report

8

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying public administration & social service list, UIC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 33,518 students enrolled at UIC were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full UIC Veteran Student Life Report

9

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University, 147 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,460. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northeastern Illinois University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Northeastern Illinois University]](/colleges/northeastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

10

Western Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 45 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 7,490 students enrolled at Western Illinois University, 330 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at WIU]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

11
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

GSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 4,650 students enrolled at GSU, 146 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,291. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full GSU Veteran Student Life Report

12
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying public administration & social service list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.

Full Northwestern Veteran Student Life Report

13
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 39 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying public administration & social service list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University, 57 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Olivet Nazarene University]](/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)

14

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

UIS also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 214 of the 4,146 students enrolled at UIS were GI Bill® students, of which 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,253. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

15
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, National Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NLU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, National Louis University supports 7,402 students, and 15 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 14 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,078. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full NLU Veteran Student Life Report

16

Northern Illinois University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 15 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU, 480 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

17
St. Augustine College crest
Saint Augustine College
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. Saint Augustine College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying public administration & social service list, St. Augustine College has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 901 students enrolled at St. Augustine College, 6 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,227. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

18
Judson crest
Judson University
Elgin, Illinois

Judson University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s list. Judson is a small school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying public administration & social service list, Judson has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Judson University supports 1,173 students, and 15 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,100. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Judson University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

19
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Public Administration & Social Service for a Bachelor’s ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 134 of the 6,491 students enrolled at Concordia University, Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,085. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Concordia University, Chicago]](/colleges/concordia-university-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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