by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. In addition, we cover how WIU ranks in comparison to other schools with communications programs.
Go directly to any of the following sections:
The bachelor's program at WIU was ranked #331 on College Factual's Best Schools for communications list. It is also ranked #15 in Illinois.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools | 322 |
| Best Communication & Media Studies Schools | 331 |
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Western Illinois University handed out 44 bachelor's degrees in communication & media studies. This is a decrease of 37% over the previous year when 70 degrees were handed out.
Communications majors who earn their bachelor's degree from WIU go on to jobs where they make a median salary of $34,142 a year. This is less than $34,959, which is the national median of all communications majors in the nation who earn bachelor's degrees.
While getting their bachelor's degree at WIU, communications students borrow a median amount of $32,413 in student loans. This is higher than the the typical median of $27,493 for all communications majors across the country.
Part-time undergraduates at WIU paid an average of $312 per credit hour in 2022-2023. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Information about average full-time undergraduate tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $9,359 | $9,359 |
| Fees | $4,726 | $4,726 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $10,920 | $10,920 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $1,776 | $1,776 |
Learn more about WIU tuition and fees.
For the most recent academic year available, 50% of communications bachelor's degrees went to men and 50% went to women.
The majority of the students with this major are white. About 57% of 2022 graduates were in this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor's in communications.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 10 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7 |
| White | 25 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 0 |
| Other Races | 2 |
Online degrees for the WIU communications bachelor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the WIU Online Learning page.
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the communications majors at Western Illinois University.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 27 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 6 |
| Journalism | 1 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.