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

37 Ranked Colleges
3,555 Degrees Awarded
$31,489 Avg Salary
Best Value Communication & 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. 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 121,387 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,549 and had an average of $24,893 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 4,627 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,616 and $26,576 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,555 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 37 colleges that offered a degree in communication and journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and journalism programs and cost less that 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 program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 354 bachelors’s communication and 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 Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $6,452 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Northwestern Communication & Journalism Report

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 623 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UIC

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $11,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Communication & Journalism Report

#5

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wheaton College Illinois. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,691 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The impressive 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 low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Wheaton College Illinois

#13 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 128 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $13,705 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at SIUE

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 192 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northern Illinois University

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $13,560 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Communication & Journalism Report

#9

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

SXU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Saint Xavier University

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Augustana has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $21,453 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Augustana

#11

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $24,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 & Journalism at Lake Forest College

#12

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 43 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,872 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend GSU.

Full GSU Communication & Journalism Report

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 285 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Aurora has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,881 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Aurora.

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 Communication & Journalism at Aurora University

With a ranking of #15, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 114 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at SIUC

#16

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

WIU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at WIU

#17

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,220 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Saint Francis

#18

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Monmouth College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Monmouth is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Monmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,960 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Monmouth.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Monmouth College

#19

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Quincy U is $16,717 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Quincy University

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $19,703 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 & Journalism at Elmhurst

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Millikin University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Millikin University.

The 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.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Millikin University

#22

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,582 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dominican University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Dominican U

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

North Central also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Central College.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at North Central College

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northeastern Illinois University

#25

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $17,841 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & 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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Olivet Nazarene

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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.

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