23
Colleges in Illinois
1,757
Communications Degrees Awarded
$36,850
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in
communication & media studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #10 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,757 degrees in communication & media studies annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
The communications program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies rankings. We derive our Best Overall Communication & Media Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the communications degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Communications
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 93 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at Northwestern University get $30,429 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Northwestern University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 327 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program report average early career income of $37,808.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Every student who is interested in communication & media studies has to check out DePaul University. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were approximately 132 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the communications program earn around $36,136 for their early career.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from DePaul University
Illinois State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 175 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at Illinois State University get $2,267 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Illinois State University
Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 31st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 123 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, communications degree recipients generally make about $36,569 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
UIC is a very large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 133 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Illinois at Chicago get an earnings boost of around $2,062 over the typical income of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Illinois at Chicago
Augustana is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Rock Island. This college ranks 21st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 34 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Augustana College earn a boost of about $3,956 above the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Augustana College
NIU is a large public university located in the suburb of Dekalb. A Best Colleges rank of #529 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NIU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 118 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program report average early career wages of $38,490.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Northern Illinois University
Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Wheaton. A Best Colleges rank of #407 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.
There were approximately 35 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at Wheaton College Illinois get $2,471 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Wheaton College Illinois
Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were about 33 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the communications program earn around $31,495 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Loyola University Chicago
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