2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 101 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $16,784 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $21,998 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 32 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $17,342 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 164 bachelors’s communications degrees 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 NIU is $21,425 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northern Illinois University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Governors State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 43 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $17,845 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 128 students in 2019-2020.
SIUE also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $18,928 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $20,270 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $19,147 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Illinois University
Wheaton College Illinois landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k 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 $24,299 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Wheaton College Illinois Communication & Media Studies Report
Saint Xavier University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Saint Xavier University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
SXU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,457 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, WIU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,181 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend WIU.
Aurora University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Aurora University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Aurora also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $19,609 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Monmouth College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth College is $18,081 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Augustana College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 42 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,730 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Augustana College
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 33 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, SIUC has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $20,698 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
Illinois State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 172 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $25,379 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State University
With a ranking of #17, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,486 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Millikin.
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.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Millikin University
With a ranking of #18, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,629 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of St Francis.
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
Dominican University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, Dominican U has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,979 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Dominican U.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Dominican U
Northeastern Illinois University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report
Concordia University, Chicago came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,820 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.
Full Concordia University, Chicago Communication & Media Studies Report
Elmhurst University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $23,604 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Lake Forest College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $30,189 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
North Central College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $25,778 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $21,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full Olivet Nazarene University Communication & Media Studies Report
Narrow Results by State
Indiana
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Indiana
Wisconsin
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Wisconsin
Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k)
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students in the state of Illinois
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students in Illinois
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Communication & Media Studies Schools
Communication & Media Studies students in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students with family income less than $30k in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students with family income $48-$75k in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in Illinois
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Communication & Media Studies Graduates in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students in Illinois
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois (With Aid)
Communication & Media Studies students getting aid in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students with family income $30-$48k in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois
Communication & Media Studies students with family income $75-$110k in Illinois
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.
Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |