by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've gathered data and other essential information about the program, such as the average salary of graduates, ethnicity of students, how many students graduated in recent times, and more. In addition, we cover how NIU ranks in comparison to other schools with communication sciences programs.
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The bachelor's program at NIU was ranked #170 on College Factual's Best Schools for communication sciences list. It is also ranked #8 in Illinois.
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Northern Illinois University handed out 47 bachelor's degrees in communication sciences. This is an increase of 42% over the previous year when 33 degrees were handed out.
In 2022, 20 students received their master’s degree in communication sciences from NIU. This makes it the #222 most popular school for communication sciences master’s degree candidates in the country.
In addition, 7 students received their doctoral degrees in communication sciences in 2022, making the school the #63 most popular school in the United States for this category of students.
The median salary of communication sciences students who receive their bachelor's degree at NIU is $34,136. This is great news for graduates of the program, since this figure is higher than the national average of $24,702 for all communication sciences bachelor's degree recipients.
While getting their bachelor's degree at NIU, communication sciences students borrow a median amount of $18,795 in student loans. This is not too bad considering that the median debt load of all communication sciences bachelor's degree recipients across the country is $32,302.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, part-time undergraduate students at NIU paid an average of $360 per credit hour. No discount was available for in-state students. Information about average full-time undergraduate tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $9,792 | $9,792 |
| Fees | $2,714 | $2,714 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,300 | $1,300 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $12,800 | $12,800 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $2,836 | $2,836 |
Learn more about NIU tuition and fees.
Of the 47 students who graduated with a Bachelor’s in communication sciences from NIU in 2022, 9% were men and 91% were women.
The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at NIU are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 62% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor's in communication sciences.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 3 |
| Black or African American | 1 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11 |
| White | 29 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 1 |
| Other Races | 2 |
Online degrees for the NIU communication sciences bachelor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the NIU Online Learning page.
Graduates of the master's communication sciences program at NIU make a median salary of $58,817. This is less than what their typical peers from other schools make. Their median salary is $59,094.
All of the 20 students who graduated with a Master’s in communication sciences from NIU in 2022 were women.
The majority of the students with this major are white. About 70% of 2022 graduates were in this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Northern Illinois University with a master's in communication sciences.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4 |
| White | 14 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 1 |
| Other Races | 1 |
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the communication sciences majors at Northern Illinois University.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Nursing | 205 |
| Health/Medical Prep Programs | 153 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 45 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | 39 |
| Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services | 35 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.