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2025 Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

25 Colleges in Illinois
2,899 Bachelor's Degrees
$35,693 Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Journalism is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #8 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 25 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,899 bachelor's degrees in communication & journalism to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois The communication & journalism bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for communication & journalism students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois 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 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 Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Communication & Journalism in Illinois

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for communication & journalism students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Bachelor's in Communication & Journalism

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
329 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in communication & journalism. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
534 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in communication & journalism. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
313 Annual Graduates

DePaul University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in communication & journalism. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from DePaul University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
265 Annual Graduates

Illinois State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in communication & journalism. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from Illinois State University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
229 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from Loyola University Chicago

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 Annual Graduates

UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from University of Illinois at Chicago

8
74 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from Bradley University

9
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
60 Annual Graduates

Augustana is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Rock Island.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from Augustana College

10
34 Annual Graduates

Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Wheaton.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & journalism from Wheaton College Illinois

Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 35 3,230
Ohio 34 3,581
Indiana 33 2,304
Wisconsin 31 1,871

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Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 1,510
Public Relations & Advertising 673
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 430
Journalism 258
Communication & Journalism (Other) 28

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 4,509
English Language & Literature 1,148
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 950
History 772
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 668
Theology & Religious Vocations 581
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 466
Philosophy & Religious Studies 394
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 236

Notes and References

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