2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois (With Aid)
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 Getting Aid” 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.
This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid”.
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 Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 317 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
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.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, UIS has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Governors State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Governors State University is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 43 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 164 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, NIU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
EIU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Full Eastern Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Saint Xavier University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Xavier University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
SXU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $14,528 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend WIU.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Western Illinois University
Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
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%.
Northwestern University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Northwestern University Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
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
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed 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 with aid.
Aurora University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students 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 with aid 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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Aurora University
Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern Illinois University
With a ranking of #16, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students 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 estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Dominican University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. 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 with aid 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 $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Dominican University.
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.
Full Dominican University Communication & Media Studies Report
Monmouth College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Monmouth, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Monmouth College is $17,061 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
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. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
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.
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, Elmhurst has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Elmhurst.
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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Elmhurst University
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Lake Forest is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $26,426 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Lake Forest College
Concordia University, Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,512 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Concordia University, Chicago
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Olivet Nazarene University 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 University is $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Olivet Nazarene
North Central College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend North Central.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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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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