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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

34 Ranked Colleges
1,838 Degrees Awarded
$24,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” 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 Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

The communications school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 317 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 164 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full Northern Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 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 $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UIS

#4

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Xavier University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. SXU 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SXU.

Full Saint Xavier University Communication & Media Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 128 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #6. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 41 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at EIU

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #7. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and 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 more than $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 University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k list, WIU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Western Illinois University

#10

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Saint Francis

#11

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 43 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend GSU.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at GSU

#13

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Aurora.

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%.

Full Aurora Communication & Media Studies Report

#14

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Monmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monmouth, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Monmouth also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $17,061 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Monmouth.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Monmouth College Communication & Media Studies Report

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SIUC

#16

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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 estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Dominican U

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $26,426 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Lake Forest

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 18 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Millikin University.

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.

Full Millikin University Communication & Media Studies Report

#19

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

North Central College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Central

Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #20. TIU Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Deerfield, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for TIU Illinois is $21,204 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Trinity International University - Illinois Communication & Media Studies Report

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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 Olivet Nazarene University

#22

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Elmhurst

#23

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 11 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Communication & Media Studies Report

#24

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #24 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois

#25

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #25. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend North Park is $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Park

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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.

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