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Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

26 Colleges
$27,607 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$35,627 Avg Salary

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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 26 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best value experiences for communication and journalism students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for communication and journalism majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Communication & Journalism Schools

$13,968 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Illinois State University to be the best value school for communication and journalism students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Illinois State are $13,968 a year. 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.

Illinois State also claimed a spot on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University Report

$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 26 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.

UIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $17,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.

UIUC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list.

Full Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

$11,496 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great value for communication and journalism students. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Communication & Journalism majors at SIUE take out an average of $22,203 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $198.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

$13,297 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in Illinois. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

WIU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.

Full Communication & Journalism at Western Illinois University Report

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL
$12,297 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at EIU are $12,297 a year. Communication & Journalism majors at EIU take out an average of $24,988 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $181.

Full Communication & Journalism at Eastern Illinois University Report

#6

Governors State University

University Park, IL
$10,108 Average Tuition & Fees

Governors State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.

GSU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,108 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from GSU carry an average student debtload of $25,000.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Governors State University

$14,738 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NIU are $14,738 a year. On average, communication and journalism graduates from NIU take out $26,375 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $199.

Read More…

$12,053 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. UIS is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIS are $12,053 per year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at UIS take out is $20,875.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Springfield

$27,786 Average Tuition & Fees

Columbia College Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Columbia are $27,786 per year. On average, communication and journalism graduates from Columbia take out $25,611 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $435.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Columbia College Chicago

$12,064 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #10 on the list. Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Chicago.

Northeastern Illinois University undergraduate students pay an average of $12,064 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, communication and journalism graduates from Northeastern Illinois University take out $15,237 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

Best Value Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value 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 26 schools only.

  • 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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