2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
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 “Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 2,073 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,543 and $26,465 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools
The communications 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 “Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 187 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 336 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Media Studies Report
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #3 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 140 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 91 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 172 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.
NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 195 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,470 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State University
Saint Xavier University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Xavier University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
SXU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,266 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Wheaton College Illinois came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a 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 & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois
Governors State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University Park, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,872 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GSU.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Illinois University
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,771 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIS.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Communication & Media Studies Report
Lake Forest College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $18,192 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 58 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.
Western Illinois University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 53 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $13,942 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Western Illinois University
Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.
Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,355 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Aurora University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $14,103 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 & Media Studies at Aurora University
University of St Francis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,847 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of St Francis.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 & Media Studies at University of Saint Francis
Elmhurst University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,903 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst University Communication & Media Studies Report
Monmouth College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Monmouth, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Monmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,231 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Monmouth College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #20, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Millikin has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $17,656 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Bradley University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 1 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $17,205 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Bradley University
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 1 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Dominican U also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $17,060 for illinois communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Dominican University
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
North Central also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $18,889 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Central College
With a ranking of #25, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $15,806 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Olivet Nazarene
- Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
- Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k)
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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