2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 68,079 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 2,073 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,543 and $26,465 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,838 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered a degree in communication and media studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and media studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 101 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $3,995 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Northwestern University Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 317 students in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 128 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,938 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUE.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 86 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 164 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 41 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, EIU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,316 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend EIU.
Saint Xavier University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,962 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SXU.
Illinois State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 172 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State University
Governors State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,046 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Governors State University Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 30 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $19,152 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Lake Forest
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Western Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report
Wheaton College Illinois came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The impressive 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois
With a ranking of #14, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $11,229 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Saint Francis Communication & Media Studies Report
Aurora University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Aurora also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $13,845 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Aurora University.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Aurora University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Augustana College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Augustana also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Augustana College
Monmouth College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Monmouth also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth is $14,337 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Monmouth
With a ranking of #19, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $17,837 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst University Communication & Media Studies Report
Dominican University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,586 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Dominican U
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,513 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern Illinois University
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Millikin has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $17,692 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Bradley University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $18,232 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Bradley
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $15,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Olivet Nazarene University Communication & Media Studies Report
Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. 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 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,406 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.
Full Concordia University, Chicago Communication & Media Studies Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.
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