2026 Best Value Radio & Television Schools in Illinois
[Radio & Television](/majors/communication-journalism-media/radio-television-digital-communication/radio-and-television/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong radio & television education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for radio & television students.
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2026 Best Value Radio & Television Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in radio & television, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Radio & Television Schools
Leading the list is Lake Land College, our #1 best value for radio & television in Illinois. Lake Land College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Mattoon. Students from in state pay about $4,415 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,301. Typical student debt for radio & television graduates is $7,769. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $30,294. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of Dupage came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value radio & television schools. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,560, compared with $12,750 for out-of-state students. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $12,492 in student loans. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $43,025. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the best values for radio & television. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $25,025 in student loans. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $25,057. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Illinois University Carbondale admits about 87% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Bradley University earned it the #4 place for radio & television. Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,160. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the radio & television program here. Soon after graduation, radio & television degree recipients from Bradley University generally make around $32,742. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Bradley University admits about 77% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in radio & television will find it at Columbia College Chicago, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $34,088 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,420 to complete the radio & television program here. Radio & Television graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $24,191 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Columbia College Chicago admits about 90% of applicants.
Illinois Media School Chicago Campus landed the #6 spot for radio & television value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Media School Chicago Campus is a small private for-profit university. Students borrow a median of $9,500 to complete the radio & television program here. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $18,740. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northwestern University landed the #7 spot for radio & television value this year. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $15,500 in student loans. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $56,833. That is a strong return on a $15,500 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Illinois Media School placed #8 among the best values for radio & television. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois Media School is a small private for-profit institution. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, radio & television degree recipients from Illinois Media School generally make around $18,740. That is a strong return on a $9,500 median debt.
More Radio & Television Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
