2022 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Other) (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 Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Communication & Journalism (Other) is the 195th most popular major in the country with 1,253 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism (other) graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,210 and had an average of $27,463 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 222 communication and journalism (other) graduates with average earnings and debt of $80,000 and $38,941 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 4 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism (other). This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and journalism (other) programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and journalism (other) program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Other) (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$1,866 Average Net Price

$68,272 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 191 ’s other 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 & Journalism (Other) Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for Illinois Other Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 & Journalism (Other) Report

#2

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$13,942 Average Net Price

$37,263 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s other communications degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois other communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, WIU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism (Other) Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $13,942 for Illinois Other Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism (Other) at Western Illinois University

#3

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$15,292 Average Net Price

$47,950 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Quincy University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s other communications students in 2019-2020.

Quincy U also made our “Best Communication & Journalism (Other) Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $15,292 for Illinois Other Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Quincy U.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism (Other) at Quincy U

#4

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois

#4 in overall quality

$22,862 Average Net Price

$51,810 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Other Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Benedictine University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Lisle, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified ’s other communications students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Benedictine U, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism (Other) Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $22,862 for illinois other communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Benedictine U.

Full Benedictine University Communication & Journalism (Other) Report

• Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Other) (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Other) (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 Josh Hallett.

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 >