2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Communication & Journalism School for You
Communication & Journalism is the #12 most popular major in Illinois with 4,261 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 can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Communication & 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 26 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois
The following schools top our list of the Best Communication & Journalism Colleges.
Top 10 Best Communication & Journalism Schools
Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for communication and journalism students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from Northwestern take out $16,622 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $842, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place for communication and journalism students. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
Communication & Journalism majors at UIUC take out an average of $19,725 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $306.
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Out of the 26 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus landed the # 3 spot on the list. Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus take out is $12,667. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $105.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois Media School. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Illinois Media School is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Lombard.
While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at Illinois Media School accumulate an average of around $12,667 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $105.
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The excellent programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in Illinois. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debtload of $22,080. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $251.
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Bradley University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from Bradley take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $716.
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Loyola University Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Loyola Chicago take out is $23,407. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $649, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Augustana College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #8 on the list. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Rock Island.
Communication & Journalism majors at Augustana take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #9, North Central College did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Naperville.
While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at North Central accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #10, Western Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at WIU take out is $27,016. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $239, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Request InformationBest Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 2,714 |
| Michigan | 3,555 |
| Ohio | 3,901 |
| Wisconsin | 1,988 |
More Communication & Journalism Rankings in Illinois
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Learn about other programs related to Communication & Journalism that might interest you.
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Rankings in Majors Related to Communication & Journalism
Communication & Journalism Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 66,787 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 21,099 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 17,669 |
| Journalism | 13,552 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,128 |
| Publishing | 336 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 327,871 |
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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 Josh Hallett.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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