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2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

37 Ranked Colleges
4,627 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 37 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and journalism programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 854 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Northwestern Communication & Journalism Report

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 Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 671 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,683 for Illinois 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

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 in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 42 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $11,857 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Springfield

#5

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students 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 Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Communication & Journalism Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $13,705 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 200 students in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at NIU

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 99 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $13,560 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at EIU

#9

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $14,907 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at SXU

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 64 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $21,453 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Augustana College

#11

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lake Forest is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 30 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $24,683 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Lake Forest College

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools 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 308 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,080 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Communication & Journalism Report

#13

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 53 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,872 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend GSU.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Governors State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 139 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, SIUC has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,985 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUC.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#15

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 44 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Aurora has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $15,881 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Aurora

#16

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 102 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,912 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Western Illinois University

#17

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $14,220 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 University of Saint Francis

#18

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Monmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monmouth, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Monmouth has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Monmouth College is $15,960 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Monmouth College

#19

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Quincy, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Quincy U is $16,717 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Quincy University Communication & Journalism Report

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $19,703 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Elmhurst University

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $20,390 for Illinois Communication & 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 Communication & Journalism at Millikin University

#22

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $18,582 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Dominican University

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $23,353 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College Communication & Journalism Report

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,841 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Communication & Journalism Report

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 74 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,180 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Communication & Journalism Report

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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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