2025 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois
25
Colleges in Illinois
4,241
Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$37,306
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
communication & journalism is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #11 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 25 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,241 degrees in communication & journalism to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School
The communication & journalism program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Communication & Journalism rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for communication & journalism schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Communication & Journalism Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Communication & Journalism in Illinois
The schools below may not offer all types of communication & journalism degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Communication & Journalism
Northwestern University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in communication & journalism. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were approximately 831 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Northwestern University receive $24,571 more than the average communication & journalism grad.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Northwestern University
It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & journalism. UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 615 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $4,684 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in Communication
Program Name
With an online bachelor's degree in communication you'll have the opportunity to pursue a multitude of career options. From journalism and social media, to public relations, advertising and mass media, earning your BA in communication will allow you to strategize and communicate your ideas.
More information about a degree in BA in Communication from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
It is difficult to beat DePaul University if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & journalism. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were roughly 380 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from DePaul University make $2,809 more than the typical communication & journalism graduate.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from DePaul University
Illinois State University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in communication & journalism. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 285 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at Illinois State University get $2,566 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Illinois State University
SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 123 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the communication & journalism program make around $36,569 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 133 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the communication & journalism program earn around $38,912 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Illinois at Chicago
Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were about 273 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients usually earn an average of $39,096 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Loyola University Chicago
Masters
Degree Type
MA in Communication
Program Name
Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals.
More information about a degree in MA in Communication from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Peoria. A Best Colleges rank of #519 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Bradley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 88 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients typically earn about $38,219 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Bradley University
Located in the small city of Rock Island, Augustana is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 21st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 51 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients generally earn about $38,049 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Augustana College
Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #407 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.
There were about 35 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Wheaton College Illinois receive $2,015 more than the standard communication & journalism graduate.
More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Wheaton College Illinois
