2023 Best General Journalism Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
11
Ranked Colleges
317
Degrees Awarded
$30,100
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 11,380 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.
Across Illinois, there were 317 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general journalism programs as well as strong veteran support.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general journalism program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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.
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying journalism.
Top 11 Best General Journalism Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 53 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 28 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, SIUC supports 11,366 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUC offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SIUC]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism list. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 34 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 6,769 students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago, 140 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,151. In addition to receiving other benefits, 25 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Columbia College Chicago offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Columbia College Chicago Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Central College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism list. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
North Central also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 46 of the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central College were GI Bill® students, of which 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,214. On top of their other funding sources, 15 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 29 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois State]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
DePaul University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. During this same period, 101 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Loyola University Chicago landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 39 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Loyola University Chicago supports 16,893 students, and 261 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 165 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. On top of their other funding sources, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola University Chicago does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Loyola Chicago]](/colleges/loyola-university-chicago/student-life/veterans/)
Northern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University, 480 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full NIU Veteran Student Life Report
Eastern Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism ranking. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
EIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, EIU supports 8,626 students, and 184 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 46 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,730. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
With a ranking of #10, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism list. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 28 of the 2,389 students enrolled at Augustana College were GI Bill® students, of which 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,990. During this same period, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Augustana College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Augustana College]](/colleges/augustana-college-illinois/student-life/veterans/)
Bradley University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Journalism list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 9 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 5,855 students enrolled at Bradley, 96 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,498. During this same period, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Bradley]](/colleges/bradley-university/student-life/veterans/)
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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