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2025 Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

7 Colleges in Illinois
725 Master's Degrees
$61,640 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, a master's degree in communication & journalism sits in the middle of the road, ranking #15 out of 37 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual looked at 7 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 725 master's degrees in communication & journalism during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School for Your Master's Degree

Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The communication & journalism master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality communication & journalism program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for communication & journalism students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Communication & Journalism Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The communication & 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 the Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in Illinois.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Communication & Journalism in Illinois

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in communication & journalism.

Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Communication & Journalism

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
441 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in communication & journalism needs to check out Northwestern University. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful option for individuals interested in a master's degree in communication & journalism. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Annual Graduates

DePaul University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in communication & journalism. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from DePaul University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
17 Annual Graduates

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a wonderful choice for students interested in a master's degree in communication & journalism. SIUE is a large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Annual Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Loyola University Chicago

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20 Annual Graduates

Illinois State is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Illinois State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
18 Annual Graduates

Located in the remote town of Charleston, EIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Eastern Illinois University

Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 33 321
Ohio 32 158
Michigan 31 231
Wisconsin 31 57

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Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 484
Communication & Media Studies 135
Public Relations & Advertising 77
Journalism 29

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 1,380
Theology & Religious Vocations 754
English Language & Literature 263
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 154
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 143
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 138
History 108
Philosophy & Religious Studies 96
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 70

Notes and References

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