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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois

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Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois” ranking.

In 2021-2022, 116,994 people earned their degree in communication & journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. In , communication & journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $34,306 and had an average of $24,240 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 4,241 communication & journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,627 and $25,445 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois” ranking analyzed 59 colleges that offered a degree in communication & journalism. That schools that top this list have a program in communication & journalism in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Communication & Journalism in Illinois

1
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 59 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 127 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia Communication & Journalism Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication & journalism degrees to 831 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northwestern

3
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

Out of the 59 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Principia College landed the #3 spot on the list. Principia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elsah, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Principia College

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend DePaul University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 380 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 DePaul University

5
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Augustana College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Augustana

6

Illinois State University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 285 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University

7
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 125 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full EIU Communication & Journalism Report

8
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 88 degrees to qualified ’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Communication & Journalism Report

9

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 78 diplomas to qualified ’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Western Illinois University

10
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. Monmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monmouth, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Monmouth College Communication & Journalism Report

11
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Eureka College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Eureka College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Eureka, Illinois. It awarded 5 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Eureka College Communication & Journalism Report

12
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Trinity Christian College is located in Palos Heights, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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 Trinity Christian

13
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 273 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Loyola Chicago Communication & Journalism Report

14

With a ranking of #14, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 137 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northern Illinois University Communication & Journalism Report

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 615 diplomas to qualified ’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Journalism Report

16

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 49 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

17

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad 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 Northeastern Illinois University Communication & Journalism Report

18
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 53 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Olivet Nazarene University

19
Blackburn crest
Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois

Blackburn College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Blackburn is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Carlinville, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Blackburn College Communication & Journalism Report

20
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest Communication & Journalism Report

21

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #21. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication & journalism degrees to 92 students in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Communication & Journalism Report

22

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #22. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 123 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SIUE Communication & Journalism Report

23
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 North Central

24
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Chicago State University

25
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #25. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 35 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Wheaton College Illinois

Notes and References

References

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