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2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

35 Ranked Colleges
2,073 Degrees Awarded
$21,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 $75-$110k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and media studies programs, but they also cost less that 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 187 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $16,784 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 336 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $21,998 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIS has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $17,342 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 172 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, NIU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,425 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northern Illinois University

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $17,845 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full GSU Communication & Media Studies Report

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,147 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $18,928 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago 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 $20,270 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#9

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 43 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k 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 $24,299 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#10

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

SXU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,457 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SXU.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SXU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s 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 $20,698 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SIUC.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $20,181 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Western Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report

#13

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,609 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Aurora.

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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Aurora University

#14

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Monmouth College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Monmouth, Illinois. It awarded 13 ’s communications degrees 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 $18,081 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Monmouth College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Monmouth

#15

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 42 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,730 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Augustana

#16

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 195 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $25,379 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#17

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $23,486 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#18

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

University of Saint Francis also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $20,629 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of St Francis

#19

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Dominican University is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $21,979 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Full Dominican University Communication & Media Studies Report

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 $22,526 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report

#21

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 11 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,820 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Concordia University, Chicago

#22

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $23,604 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Elmhurst.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Elmhurst University

#23

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 30 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $30,189 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest College Communication & Media Studies Report

#24

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 4 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, North Central has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $25,778 for Illinois Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full North Central College Communication & Media Studies Report

#25

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 24 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $21,306 for illinois communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Olivet Nazarene University

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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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