2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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” 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” 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 172 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
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%.
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 #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 317 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and 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 $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 164 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 41 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Illinois University
With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Springfield 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.
UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #7. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend UIC.
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
Western Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 53 bachelors’s communications degrees 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 $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Western Illinois University
Governors State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 43 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,077 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend GSU.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern Illinois University
With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 33 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
With a ranking of #12, DeVry University - Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. DeVry University - Illinois is a private for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend DeVry University - Illinois is $28,551 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at DeVry University - Illinois
Aurora University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. 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 $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
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
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.
The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Wheaton College Illinois
Trinity Christian College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Trinity Christian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Palos Heights, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students list, Trinity Christian has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,904 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend Trinity Christian College.
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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Trinity Christian
With a ranking of #16, Benedictine University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Lisle, Illinois, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Benedictine University is $25,143 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
Full Benedictine University Communication & Media Studies Report
University of St Francis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students 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 Saint Francis
Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students list, Bradley has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Bradley University Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #19, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Saint Xavier University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 26 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communications students list, SXU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $14,528 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Saint Xavier University
With a ranking of #20, Eureka College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Eureka, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eureka College is $21,344 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Dominican University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s 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 U is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students.
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
North Park University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for North Park University is $19,170 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
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 North Park
With a ranking of #23, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Trinity International University - Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Deerfield, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Trinity International University - Illinois is $21,204 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 TIU Illinois
Columbia College Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Chicago, 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 8 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,099 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Columbia College Chicago
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #25. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree communications students 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%.
Elmhurst University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
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%.
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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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