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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in Illinois

19 Ranked Colleges
718 Degrees Awarded
$50,375 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 116,994 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 718 communication & journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,827 and $47,424 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication & journalism. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in communication & journalism.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois

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

Top 19 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in Illinois

1
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois 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 474 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.

Full Northwestern Communication & Journalism Report

2
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DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 56 masters’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full DePaul Communication & Journalism Report

3
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Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 EIU Communication & Journalism Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northeastern Illinois University

5

Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 19 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Illinois State

6

With a ranking of #6, 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 Illinois list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 masters’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago

7
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Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Columbia

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 15 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%.

Full UIS Communication & Journalism Report

9

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 6 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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 more about Communication & Journalism at SIUE

10
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Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois 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 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%. 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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at GSU

11
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Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 38 degrees to qualified masters’s communication & journalism students 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Loyola Chicago Communication & Journalism Report

12

Northern Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 4 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 NIU Communication & Journalism Report

13

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified masters’s communication & journalism students 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 93%.

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

14

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 3 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 WIU Communication & Journalism Report

15

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 17 masters’s communication & journalism degrees 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

16
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Chicago Communication & Journalism Report

17

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 masters’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full UIC Communication & Journalism Report

18
Adler crest
Adler University
Chicago, Illinois

Adler University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. Adler is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 0 masters’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Adler

18
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Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in Illinois ranking. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Roosevelt

Notes and References

References

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