2022 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism in Illinois (With Aid)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools
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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism in Illinois (With Aid)
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 671 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. UIC 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students with aid list, UIS has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,477 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Communication & Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school handed out 53 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $12,077 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Governors State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 200 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
NIU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 140 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
Saint Xavier University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students with aid list, SXU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid per year to attend Saint Xavier University.
Eastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 99 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Eastern Illinois University
Northwestern University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 854 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northwestern University
Chicago State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 21 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Chicago State University is $11,733 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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.
Full Chicago State University Communication & Journalism Report
Western Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Western Illinois University
Illinois State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 308 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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 more about Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 139 students in 2019-2020.
SIUC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
University of St Francis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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 Saint Francis
Aurora University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 44 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois communication & journalism students with aid list, Aurora has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $17,215 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
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%.
With a ranking of #16, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 74 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,843 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northeastern Illinois University
With a ranking of #17, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $19,268 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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 U
Augustana College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Augustana College 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 College is $23,874 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Augustana College
Quincy University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Quincy University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Quincy, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,497 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid per year to attend Quincy U.
Monmouth College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Monmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Monmouth, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Monmouth also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Monmouth College is $17,061 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #21, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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 $25,358 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.
The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Wheaton College Illinois
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 18 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $21,331 for illinois communication & journalism students with aid.
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.
Elmhurst University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst, 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 12 students in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $21,485 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid per year to attend Elmhurst.
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%.
Lake Forest College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $26,426 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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%.
With a ranking of #25, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 104 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $25,634 for Illinois Communication & Journalism students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
- Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
- Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (With Aid)
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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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