Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Journalism

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

15 Ranked Colleges
465 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Journalism is the 58th most popular major in the country with 12,336 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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 Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.

273102336328047240182181927109213102075829330434652075332116341483504139048

Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 59 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Journalism at UIUC

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k list, NIU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Northern Illinois University General Journalism Report

#3

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Augustana College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full Augustana General Journalism Report

#4

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dominican University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Dominican University 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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 General Journalism at Dominican U

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about General Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Illinois State.

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 General Journalism at Illinois State

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on General Journalism at EIU

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k list, WIU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about General Journalism at WIU

#9

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

North Central College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend North Central.

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%.

Full North Central College General Journalism Report

#10

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northwestern.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 97%.

Full Northwestern University General Journalism Report

#11

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 bachelors’s journalism degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Concordia University, Chicago General Journalism Report

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Bradley

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about General Journalism at Columbia College Chicago

#14

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #14. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k list, DePaul has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend DePaul University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read more about General Journalism at DePaul

#15

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

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 more about General Journalism at Loyola University Chicago

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You