2027 Best Value Advertising Schools in Illinois
[Advertising](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/advertising/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong advertising education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for advertising students.
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2027 Best Value Advertising Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in advertising, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Advertising Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign the best value for a degree in advertising in Illinois. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for advertising graduates is $23,250. Early-career advertising graduates make about $54,763. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Bradley University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in advertising, landing the #2 spot this year. Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,160. Advertising graduates carry a median of $26,819 in student loans. Soon after graduation, advertising degree recipients from Bradley University generally make around $54,513. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in advertising will find it at Columbia College Chicago, which ranked #3. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,088. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the advertising program here. Soon after graduation, advertising degree recipients from Columbia College Chicago generally make around $39,794. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in advertising will find it at Loyola University Chicago, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,710. Advertising graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career advertising graduates make about $43,308. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
