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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

35 Ranked Colleges
3,555 Degrees Awarded
$24,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and journalism programs, but they also 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. 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. It costs about $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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 more about Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 192 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northern Illinois University

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UIS

#4

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Xavier University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $14,528 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SXU.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at SXU

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 128 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at SIUE

#10 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Chicago

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend EIU.

Full EIU Communication & Journalism Report

#8

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#9

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Rock Island, 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 64 students in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana College Communication & Journalism Report

#10

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Quincy U is $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Quincy University Communication & Journalism Report

#11

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 43 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at GSU

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 285 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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 Illinois State Communication & Journalism Report

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

Full WIU Communication & Journalism Report

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Aurora University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k list, Aurora has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Aurora University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Aurora

#15

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $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 more about Communication & Journalism at Dominican University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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 $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#17

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Monmouth College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Monmouth College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Monmouth, Illinois. It awarded 20 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Monmouth, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth is $17,061 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 more about Communication & Journalism at Monmouth College

#18

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Lake Forest is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $26,426 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Lake Forest.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Lake Forest

#19

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. North Central College is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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 more about Communication & Journalism at North Central College

#20

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Millikin University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

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 Millikin

With a ranking of #21, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Deerfield, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Trinity International University - Illinois is $21,204 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Trinity International University - Illinois Communication & Journalism Report

#22

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #22. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $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 full report on Communication & Journalism at Olivet Nazarene

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Elmhurst, 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 12 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Elmhurst.

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%.

Full Elmhurst University Communication & Journalism Report

#24

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Trinity Christian College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Trinity Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Christian College is $21,904 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Trinity Christian College

#25

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 354 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 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.

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