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2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

35 Ranked Colleges
2,073 Degrees Awarded
$18,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

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 Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 35 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Getting Aid” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 336 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for illinois communications students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UIC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois communications students with aid.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 38 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students with aid 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 $12,477 for illinois communications students with aid.

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

#4

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at GSU

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 172 diplomas 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 yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at NIU

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

EIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $14,607 for illinois communications students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at EIU

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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.

SIUE also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for illinois communications students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full SIUE Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students with aid list, SXU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,528 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Saint Xavier University

#9

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 187 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

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

Full Northwestern University Communication & Media Studies Report

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 53 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 yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois communications students with aid.

Full WIU Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 195 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $20,895 for illinois communications students with aid 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%.

Full Illinois State University Communication & Media Studies Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for illinois communications students with aid.

Full SIUC Communication & Media Studies Report

#13

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $17,538 for illinois communications students with aid per year to attend University of St Francis.

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

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 44 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,215 for illinois communications students with aid per year to attend Aurora University.

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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Aurora University

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 74 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,843 for Illinois Communications students with aid per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#16

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 42 ’s communications degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

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%.

Full Augustana College Communication & Media Studies Report

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Dominican University is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students with aid list, Dominican U has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Communications students with aid per year to attend Dominican U.

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

#18

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 13 ’s communications degrees 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 with aid 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%. 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Monmouth College

#19

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 43 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,358 for illinois communications students with aid per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois

#20

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees 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. It costs about $21,331 for Illinois Communications students with aid per year to attend Millikin University.

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 Millikin

#21

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s 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 estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $21,485 for illinois communications students with aid.

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 Communication & Media Studies Report

#22

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 30 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois communications students with aid 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 is $26,426 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

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 Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

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

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,195 for illinois communications students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

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%.

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

#25

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $24,786 for Illinois Communications students with aid.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at North Central

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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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