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2022 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

34 Ranked Colleges
2,073 Degrees Awarded
$24,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $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.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and cost less that 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.

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Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

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

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 336 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. 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.

NIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Northern Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 38 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Xavier University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 26 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $14,528 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SXU

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 140 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k list, SIUE has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 57 degrees to qualified ’s communications students 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 $14,607 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Communication & Media Studies Report

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 91 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 53 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at WIU

#9

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. 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 made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $17,538 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Saint Francis

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k list, Augustana has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,874 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Augustana

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 195 degrees to qualified ’s communications students 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. It costs about $20,895 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Illinois State.

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%.

Full Illinois State Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 53 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Governors State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#13

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 44 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $17,215 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full Aurora Communication & Media Studies Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#15

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k 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 also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $17,061 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Monmouth.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Monmouth College

#16

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #16. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Dominican U

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 30 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $26,426 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #18. 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.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $21,331 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $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.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Millikin University

#19

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 4 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend North Central College.

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 Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 187 ’s communications 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 is $24,664 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Northwestern Communication & Media Studies Report

Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #21 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Deerfield, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,204 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend TIU Illinois.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full TIU Illinois Communication & Media Studies Report

#22

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #22. 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 $20,195 for illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

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 Olivet Nazarene Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 11 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#24

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Communication & Media Studies Report

#25

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #25 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 43 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students whose families make more than $110k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Communication & Media Studies Report

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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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