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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois

45 Ranked Colleges
$27,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois” ranking.

In 2021-2022, 62,855 communication & media studies students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. In , communication & media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $34,194 and had an average of $23,803 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,757 communication & media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,207 and $23,628 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer a degree in communication & media studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in communication & media studies.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois communications students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois

1
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Principia College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. Located in Elsah, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Principia College

2
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eureka College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois. This small school is located in Eureka, Illinois, and it awarded 5 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Eureka College

3
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Augustana College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 34 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 85%.

Full Augustana College Communication & Media Studies Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 64 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

5
Blackburn crest
Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois

Out of the 45 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Blackburn College landed the #5 spot on the list. Blackburn is a small school located in Carlinville, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Blackburn Communication & Media Studies Report

6

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 118 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NIU Communication & Media Studies Report

7

Illinois State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 175 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State

8

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 41 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of Illinois at Springfield

9
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 30 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Lake Forest College Communication & Media Studies Report

10

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 123 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

11
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 35 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois

12
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. Monmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monmouth, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Monmouth College

13

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 44 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Western Illinois University

14
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Governors State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 35 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad 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 GSU

15
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 34 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Olivet Nazarene University

16
North Park crest
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, North Park University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Park University

17
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 132 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at DePaul University

18
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 62 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full EIU Communication & Media Studies Report

19
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’s communications degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Trinity Christian College

20
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 93 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.

Full Northwestern Communication & Media Studies Report

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 327 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

22
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 21 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Saint Xavier University

23

Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Deerfield, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Trinity International University - Illinois Communication & Media Studies Report

24
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois ranking. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Columbia College Chicago

25
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Millikin University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communications Major in Illinois list. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Millikin University

Notes and References

References

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