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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

35 Ranked Colleges
1,838 Degrees Awarded
$31,972 Avg Salary
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 9th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 68,079 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,838 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 317 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 86 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full UIC Communication & Media Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield

#5

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 164 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,346 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northern Illinois University

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 128 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $13,705 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $13,560 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at EIU

#9

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 26 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Saint Xavier University

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 42 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,453 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Augustana College.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Augustana

#10

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $24,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Lake Forest

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 172 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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

#13

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,872 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Governors State University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Governors State University

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $15,881 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Aurora

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,912 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Western Illinois University

#24 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 33 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at SIUC

#17

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Full University of Saint Francis Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Monmouth, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,960 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Monmouth.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Monmouth

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $19,703 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst University Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $20,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Millikin University Communication & Media Studies Report

#21

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

North Central College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $23,353 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 North Central College

#22

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,841 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $18,582 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Dominican University

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#25

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,295 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Concordia University, Chicago

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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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