2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 121,387 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,549 and had an average of $24,893 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 4,627 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,616 and $26,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 37 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and journalism programs and cost less that 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 communication and journalism program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k) 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 Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 854 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northwestern
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 671 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 140 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
SIUE also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 200 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
NIU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Saint Xavier University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SXU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Illinois State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 308 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University
With a ranking of #8, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 43 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,440 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Wheaton College Illinois Communication & Journalism Report
Governors State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 53 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,872 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GSU.
With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 42 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
UIS also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $9,771 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Communication & Journalism Report
Lake Forest College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 30 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $18,192 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Eastern Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $12,350 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EIU.
Full Eastern Illinois University Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #13, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
Augustana also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 139 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Western Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 102 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $13,942 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Aurora University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Aurora is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Aurora also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,103 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Aurora.
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 Communication & Journalism at Aurora University
Bradley University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $17,205 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $15,847 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at University of St Francis
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,903 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Monmouth College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Monmouth, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Monmouth has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,231 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Monmouth.
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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Millikin University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,656 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millikin University.
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.
With a ranking of #22, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dominican U also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $17,060 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Dominican University
Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 74 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northeastern Illinois University
Quincy University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Quincy University is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Quincy University is $15,292 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 46 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,889 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Central.
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%.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Josh Hallett.
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