2023 Best Journalism Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Journalism School for You
Journalism is the #88 most popular major in Illinois with 332 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
The Best Journalism Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 13 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Journalism Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for journalism majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Journalism Schools
Our analysis found University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to be the best school for journalism students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, journalism graduates from UIUC carry an average student debtload of $19,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $194.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend North Central College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in Illinois list. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Naperville.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Illinois State University is a great place for journalism students. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
While working on their degree, journalism majors at Illinois State accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Bradley University is a great place for journalism students. Located in the midsize city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
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Out of the 13 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
On average, journalism graduates from Loyola Chicago take out $25,254 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Augustana College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Rock Island.
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Columbia College Chicago landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best journalism programs. Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that journalism majors at Columbia take out is $26,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $424, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #8, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best schools for journalism students. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.
On average, journalism graduates from SIUC take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Northern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for journalism students. It came in at #9 on the list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.
On average, journalism graduates from NIU take out $25,750 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Western Illinois University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best journalism programs. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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Request InformationBest Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 245 |
| Ohio | 426 |
| Indiana | 274 |
| Wisconsin | 325 |
More Journalism Rankings in Illinois
Rankings in Majors Related to Journalism
One of 5 majors within the area of study, journalism has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Journalism
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 66,787 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 21,099 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 17,669 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,128 |
| Publishing | 336 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 13 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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