2026 Best Advertising Schools in Illinois
Advertising is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for advertising students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Advertising in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall advertising education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Advertising
No school ranked higher than University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year for advertising. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. About 85% of students finish within six years. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 202 advertising degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, advertising degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $54,763. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete this degree.
See the full advertising program report for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Columbia College Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in advertising, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 52% of students finish within six years. About 14 advertising degrees were awarded at Columbia College Chicago in the most recent year. Graduates of the advertising program make about $39,794 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete this degree.
Get the full advertising details for Columbia College Chicago
More Advertising Rankings
View All Advertising Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.
- 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.
