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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Illinois

5 Colleges in the United States
260 Communication & Media Studies Degrees Awarded
$35,945 Avg Early-Career Salary

Communication & Media Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their communication & media studies programs.

College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best communication & media studies schools.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the communication & media studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Communication & Media Studies

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. About 85% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 36 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Students who receive their communication & media studies degree from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn around $37,808 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. See the full communication & media studies program report for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

2

Illinois State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in communication & media studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. About 64% of students finish within six years. Illinois State University awarded about 62 communication & media studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the communication & media studies program make about $41,670 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,125. Read more about the communication & media studies program at Illinois State University

3
Depaul University crest
Depaul University
Chicago, IL

Students looking for a strong communication & media studies program will find one at Depaul University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. About 87 communication & media studies degrees were awarded at Depaul University in the most recent year. Students who receive their communication & media studies degree from Depaul University earn around $40,421 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $22,916 to complete this degree. Read more about the communication & media studies program at Depaul University

4

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in communication & media studies, ranking #4. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. Roughly 55% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 59 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the most recent data year. Students who receive their communication & media studies degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn around $36,569 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,759. See the full communication & media studies program report for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

5

A rank of #5 makes Olivet Nazarene University one of the top schools for communication & media studies. Set in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 61%. Olivet Nazarene University awarded about 16 communication & media studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the communication & media studies program make about $23,259 in their early career. Olivet Nazarene University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Get the full communication & media studies details for Olivet Nazarene University

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 13 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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