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2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

36 Ranked Colleges
3,555 Degrees Awarded
$21,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 121,387 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,555 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and 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 communication and journalism program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The communication & journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 354 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,784 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northwestern

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 623 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $21,998 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UIUC

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,342 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 192 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $21,425 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northern Illinois University

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,845 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend GSU.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Governors State University

#13 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 128 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, SIUE has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $18,928 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at SIUE

#10 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $20,270 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UIC

#8

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 43 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $24,299 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 90%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Communication & Journalism Report

#9

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SXU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $18,457 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Saint Xavier University Communication & Journalism Report

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,147 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full Eastern Illinois University Communication & Journalism Report

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Aurora University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, Aurora has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,609 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k 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%.

Full Aurora University Communication & Journalism Report

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 96 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $20,181 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Western Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 114 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,698 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Communication & Journalism Report

#14

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 64 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, Augustana has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,730 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Augustana

#15

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Monmouth College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Monmouth also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $18,081 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Monmouth College.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Monmouth College

#16

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 285 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,379 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Communication & Journalism Report

#16

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 18 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,486 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Millikin.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Millikin University

#18

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $20,629 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Saint Francis

#19

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $21,979 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Dominican University

#20

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Quincy U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Quincy, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,515 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Quincy U.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Quincy University

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northeastern Illinois University

#22

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,820 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Communication & Journalism Report

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $23,604 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst Communication & Journalism Report

#24

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $30,189 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest Communication & Journalism Report

#25

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

North Central College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. North Central is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 46 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,778 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend North Central.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at North Central College

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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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