by our College Data Analytics TeamThe main focus area for this major is Speech Communication. For more details on this concentration, visit its profile page.
Communication & Media Studies is a major offered under the communication and journalism program of study at Western Illinois University. We’ve pulled together some essential information you should know about the bachelor’s degree program in communications, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, and more.
If there’s something special you’re looking for, you can use one of the links below to find it:
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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.
If you're having trouble deciding which school is best for you, you may want to check out our many college rankings. The bachelor's program at WIU was ranked #380 on College Factual's Best Schools for communications list. It is also ranked #16 in Illinois.
Here are some of the other rankings for WIU.
During the 2019-2020 academic year, part-time undergraduate students at WIU paid an average of $290 per credit hour. No discount was available for in-state students. Information about average full-time undergraduate tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $8,712 | $8,712 |
| Fees | $4,392 | $4,392 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $9,800 | $9,800 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $2,230 | $2,230 |
Learn more about WIU tuition and fees.
You may also want to consider how much in student loans you’ll need when thinking about the overall cost to attend a school. Students who received their bachelor’s degree at WIU in Communications walked away with an average of $28,719 in student debt. That is 17% higher than the national average of $24,445.
communications who receive their bachelor’s degree from WIU make an average of $34,393 a year during the early days of their career. That is 9% higher than the national average of $31,626.
Online degrees for the WIU communications bachelor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the WIU Online Learning page.
Of the students who received their bachelor’s degree in communications in 2019-2020, 67.9% of them were women. This is higher than the nationwide number of 64.0%.
Of those graduates who received a bachelor’s degree in communications at WIU in 2019-2020, 49.1% were racial-ethnic minorities*. This is higher than the nationwide number of 36%.
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 1 |
| Black or African American | 18 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4 |
| Native American or Alaska Native | 0 |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 1 |
| White | 26 |
| International Students | 1 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 2 |
Communication & Media Studies students may decide to major in one of the following focus areas.
| Focus Area | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication | 53 |
You may also be interested in one of these majors related to communication and media studies.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Journalism | 3 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 28 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 12 |
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
