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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

15 Ranked Colleges
465 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 12,336 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 614 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 465 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in general journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general journalism programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general journalism 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 General Journalism Schools

The journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 151 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $3,995 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northwestern

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $8,464 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University General Journalism Report

#4

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Journalism at Illinois State

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $11,316 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Eastern Illinois University General Journalism Report

#12 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General Journalism Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

WIU also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at WIU

#8

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 General Journalism at Augustana College

#9

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,586 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University.

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.

Full Dominican U General Journalism Report

#10

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Journalism Report

#11

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Central.

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 General Journalism Report

#12

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Chicago, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,406 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read more about General Journalism at Concordia University, Chicago

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $27,397 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Read more about General Journalism at Columbia College Chicago

#14

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 42 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $25,842 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about General Journalism at DePaul University

#15

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $29,788 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 General Journalism at Loyola 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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