College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

65 Ranked Colleges
1,456 Degrees Awarded
$48,977 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 the Great Lakes region, there were 17,001 communication & journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,360 and $23,912 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,456 communication & journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,182 and $43,142 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 65 colleges that offer a degree in communication & journalism. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their communication & journalism program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree communication & journalism students.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 474 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.

Full Northwestern University Communication & Journalism Report

2
Spring Arbor crest
Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Spring Arbor University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Spring Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communication & journalism degrees to 10 students 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%.

Full Spring Arbor University Communication & Journalism Report

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 194 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Purdue University - Main Campus

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 56 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at DePaul

5
Andrews crest
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Andrews University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Andrews University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berrien Springs, Michigan. It awarded 2 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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 Andrews University

6
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 17 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Eastern Illinois University

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 more about Communication & Journalism at Michigan State

8

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Communication & Journalism Report

9
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Ball State

10

Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University

11
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 4 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Valparaiso University Communication & Journalism Report

12

With a ranking of #12, School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 3 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.

Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Communication & Journalism Report

13
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 masters’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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Columbia College Chicago

14

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 15 masters’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%.

Full UIS Communication & Journalism Report

15

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified masters’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at OHIO Athens

16
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified masters’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Marquette University

17

With a ranking of #17, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communication & journalism degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Northwest Communication & Journalism Report

18

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 14 masters’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Youngstown State University

19

With a ranking of #19, The University of Findlay did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Findlay is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Findlay, Ohio. It awarded 5 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at The University of Findlay

20
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

With a ranking of #20, Ashland University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ashland University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ashland, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Ashland Communication & Journalism Report

21

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 6 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at SIUE

22
John Carroll crest
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

With a ranking of #22, John Carroll University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. John Carroll University is located in University Heights, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 60 masters’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at John Carroll University

23

With a ranking of #23, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communication & journalism degrees to 40 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at BGSU

24
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Governors State University Communication & Journalism Report

25
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University Fort Wayne is a medium-sized school located in Fort Wayne, Indiana that handed out 5 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Purdue University Fort Wayne

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options