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Best Journalism Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Journalism Schools in Illinois

13 Colleges
$33,522 Avg Salary
$23,595 Avg Student Debt

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 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best school in Illinois for journalism students. 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.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

North Central College

Naperville, IL

Out of the 13 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, North Central College landed the # 2 spot on the list. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Naperville.

Full Journalism at North Central College Report

The excellent programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best journalism schools in Illinois. 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.

Full Journalism at Illinois State University Report

#4

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

Out of the 13 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Bradley University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Journalism at Bradley University Report

The excellent programs at Loyola University Chicago helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best journalism schools in Illinois. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

On average, journalism graduates from Loyola Chicago take out $25,254 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#6

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL

With a ranking of #6, Augustana College did quite well on this year’s best schools for journalism students. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Rock Island.

Full Journalism at Augustana College Report

Columbia College Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-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.

Full Journalism at Columbia College Chicago Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for journalism students. It came in at #8 on the list. 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.

Full Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

Northern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a 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.

Full Journalism at Northern Illinois University Report

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Read More…

Best 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

One of 5 majors within the area of study, journalism has other similar majors worth exploring.

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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