2022 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
With all of the options students 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 “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 37 colleges that offered a degree 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 854 students in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $3,995 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Northwestern University Communication & Journalism Report
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 $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 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.
UIUC also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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 $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $9,938 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Springfield
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
UIC also took the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #6, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 200 ’s communication and journalism degrees 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 $15,861 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 99 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
EIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Saint Xavier University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SXU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,962 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SXU.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Saint Xavier University
With a ranking of #9, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 308 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,999 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 more about Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University
Governors State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,046 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Lake Forest College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $19,152 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Lake Forest
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $14,526 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #13, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $16,212 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. 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
University of St Francis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $11,229 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of St Francis Communication & Journalism Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. SIUC 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 SIUC is $14,306 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Aurora University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Aurora has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.
Augustana College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools 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 64 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $16,249 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Dominican University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
Dominican U also took the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,586 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 U
Bradley University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bradley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,232 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Bradley University
Monmouth College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Monmouth is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Monmouth, Illinois. It awarded 20 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Monmouth has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,337 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Monmouth.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Monmouth College
With a ranking of #21, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 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 $17,837 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 about Communication & Journalism at Elmhurst University
Northeastern Illinois University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 74 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,513 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northeastern Illinois University
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $17,692 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
Quincy University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Quincy University is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,518 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Quincy U.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Quincy University
With a ranking of #25, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,390 for illinois communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.
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%.
Full Olivet Nazarene University Communication & Journalism Report
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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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