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Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois

26 Colleges
$35,627 Avg Salary
$23,670 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

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 city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very 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 city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly 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.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois 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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#4

Illinois Media School

Lombard, IL

The excellent programs at Illinois Media School helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in Illinois. Illinois Media School is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large 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 fairly large public school located in the midsize 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.

Full Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University Report

#6

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

Bradley University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. Located in the midsize city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit school 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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Bradley University

Loyola University Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly 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.

Full Communication & Journalism at Loyola University Chicago Report

#8

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL

With a ranking of #8, Augustana College did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. 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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Augustana College

#9

North Central College

Naperville, IL

North Central College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the 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.

Full Communication & Journalism at North Central College Report

Western Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a moderately-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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Western Illinois University

Best 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

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

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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