5
Colleges in Illinois
337
Media Studies Degrees Awarded
Ranked #82 in popularity,
communication & media studies is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 5 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 337 degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Your choice of communication & media studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for communication & media studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
The schools below may not offer all types of media studies degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In IL
38
Media Studies Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 38 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
99
Media Studies Degrees Awarded
DePaul University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in communication & media studies. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were approximately 99 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from DePaul University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In IL
62
Media Studies Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat Illinois State University if you want to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal. This university ranks 8th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 62 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Illinois State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
66
Media Studies Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat Southern Illinois University Edwardsville if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 66 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IL
Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Bourbonnais. This university ranks 34th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 28 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Olivet Nazarene in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Olivet Nazarene University