2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Journalism is the 62nd most popular major in the country with 14,528 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 627 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,000 and $27,965 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 474 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 journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality journalism programs that also have a lower cost than 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 journalism program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $3,995 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
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, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
NIU also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Journalism at Northern Illinois University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Illinois State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,999 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.
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 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 public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,316 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend EIU.
With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $14,306 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Western Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Augustana College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best 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.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Dominican 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 #9. 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.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dominican U has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $17,586 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
With a ranking of #10, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley also took the #6 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.
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 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%.
With a ranking of #11, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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 medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s journalism 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 Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,406 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Journalism at Concordia University, Chicago
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. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 34 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 Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $27,397 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
DePaul University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
DePaul also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University 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%.
With a ranking of #15, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 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 took the #7 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $29,788 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.
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%.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k)
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Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
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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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