2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Journalism is the 58th most popular major in the country with 12,336 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 614 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 149 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

The journalism 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 Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$56,567 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 120 diplomas to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northwestern General Journalism Report

#2

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$30,083 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

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 Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 5 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Journalism at UIUC

#3

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

$16,757 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIS are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield General Journalism Report

#4

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$19,760 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 20 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, DePaul has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760.

Full DePaul University General Journalism Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k)

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 Jfurrer.

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 >