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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

15 Ranked Colleges
474 Degrees Awarded
$29,738 Avg Salary
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Journalism is the 62nd most popular major in the country with 14,528 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 627 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,000 and $27,965 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 474 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 15 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank 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 Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

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 Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism 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 Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Journalism at Northwestern

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Augustana College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Augustana has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $21,453 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at Augustana

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Journalism at NIU

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, SIUC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,985 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full SIUC Journalism Report

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, EIU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,560 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Journalism at Eastern Illinois University

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Illinois State

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Full WIU Journalism Report

#9

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $18,582 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Journalism at Dominican University

#10

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

North Central College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

North Central also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full North Central Journalism Report

#11

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Bradley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $22,865 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Bradley University Journalism Report

#12

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,295 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Journalism at Concordia University, Chicago

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Columbia has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $31,071 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Columbia College Chicago Journalism Report

#14

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, DePaul has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $28,075 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend DePaul University.

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%.

Read more about Journalism at DePaul University

#15

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago also took the #7 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $32,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 Journalism at Loyola Chicago

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.

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