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Most Popular Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois

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2023 Most Popular Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois

64 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 64 schools in Illinois to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Communication & Journalism program at each school on the list.

Check out the communication and journalism programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Illinois.

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the most popular school in Illinois for communication and journalism students. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern 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 Northwestern take out is $16,622. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $842, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northwestern University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $19,725 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $306.

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

#3

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from DePaul carry an average student debt load of $23,833. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $469.

Read More…

Out of the 64 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Normal.

The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Illinois State take out is $22,080. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $251.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Illinois State University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Loyola University Chicago is a great place for communication and journalism students. 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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Loyola University Chicago

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular communication and journalism programs. NIU is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from NIU carry an average student debt load of $26,375. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $199.

Full Communication & Journalism at Northern Illinois University Report

With a ranking of #7, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for communication and journalism students. Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

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.

Full Communication & Journalism at Columbia College Chicago Report

With a ranking of #8, Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for communication and journalism students. Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

On average, communication and journalism graduates from Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus take out $12,667 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $105.

Full Communication & Journalism at Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus Report

With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for communication and journalism students. UIC is a very large public school located in the large city of Chicago.

Communication & Journalism majors at UIC take out an average of $18,122 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $274.

Full Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Chicago Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular communication and journalism programs. SIUC is a large public school located in the city of Carbondale.

On average, communication and journalism graduates from SIUC take out $25,249 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $216, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Communication & Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Communication & Journalism Schools in Illinois award.

Rank College Location
11 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
12 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL

Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular 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.

  • 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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