Best value colleges for Communications in Illinois.2026 Rankings
Illinois is home to 49 accredited institutions offering Communications programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, Northwestern University is the most selective, admitting 7% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $31,731, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $34,160. Median early-career earnings for Communications graduates in this state average $35,667 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 62%.
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ranked by value score
| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | Perfect· 52 | 7% | 96% | $6,485 | $52,210 | 6:1 | 83 | 8,960 |
| 2 | Excellent· 42 | 55% | 72% | $16,566 | $64,069 | 17:1 | 39 | 2,812 | |
| 3 | Excellent· 42 | 44% | 85% | $10,065 | $37,808 | 20:1 | 100 | 34,623 | |
| 4 | Augustana CollegePrivate | Great· 41 | 68% | 79% | $17,567 | $40,806 | 11:1 | 49 | 2,418 |
| 5 | Millikin UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 54% | 59% | $7,953 | $35,413 | 10:1 | 45 | 1,458 |
| 6 | University of St FrancisPrivate | Great· 40 | 64% | 65% | $15,264 | $62,990 | 13:1 | 41 | 1,292 |
| 7 | Wheaton CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 90% | 87% | $20,430 | $39,321 | 10:1 | 35 | 2,087 |
| 8 | Bradley UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 77% | 72% | $19,392 | $51,073 | 11:1 | 78 | 3,865 |
| 9 | North Central CollegePrivate | Great· 38 | 58% | 71% | $18,725 | $39,312 | 12:1 | 54 | 2,360 |
| 10 | Principia CollegePrivate | Great· 38 | 44% | 76% | $33,280 | — | 5:1 | 32 | 337 |
| 11 | Great· 38 | 84% | 61% | $7,999 | $32,050 | 14:1 | 31 | 2,292 | |
| 12 | Chicago State UniversityPublic | Strong· 37 | 41% | 17% | $12,729 | $28,643 | 10:1 | 29 | 1,414 |
| 13 | Lake Forest CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 59% | 70% | $23,694 | $42,835 | 12:1 | 33 | 1,782 |
| 14 | Dominican UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 80% | 62% | $15,342 | $41,807 | 12:1 | 55 | 2,271 |
| 15 | Strong· 35 | 68% | 45% | $12,371 | $37,778 | 15:1 | 55 | 4,398 | |
| 16 | Strong· 35 | 70% | 17% | $15,777 | $32,538 | 12:1 | 39 | 3,869 | |
| 17 | Strong· 35 | 70% | 50% | $12,674 | $38,490 | 14:1 | 55 | 11,277 | |
| 18 | Quincy UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 50% | 43% | $15,110 | $37,447 | 14:1 | 39 | 1,038 |
| 19 | Trinity Christian CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 89% | 64% | $11,213 | $46,878 | 10:1 | 45 | 796 |
| 20 | Strong· 35 | 79% | 60% | $12,887 | $38,912 | 17:1 | 68 | 21,814 | |
| 21 | Strong· 35 | 75% | 45% | $11,608 | $34,142 | 14:1 | 71 | 4,939 | |
| 22 | Blackburn CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 80% | 52% | $20,872 | $32,120 | 9:1 | 41 | 341 |
| 23 | Hebrew Theological CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 92% | 73% | $21,742 | — | 5:1 | 12 | 81 |
| 24 | Judson UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 63% | 53% | $23,558 | $40,559 | 11:1 | 41 | 780 |
| 25 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | Strong· 34 | 81% | 77% | $32,527 | $31,495 | 13:1 | 74 | 11,576 |
| 26 | Monmouth CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 87% | 60% | $15,568 | $33,299 | 10:1 | 37 | 725 |
| 27 | North Park UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 73% | 56% | $17,712 | $45,365 | 11:1 | 50 | 1,844 |
| 28 | Strong· 34 | 90% | 56% | $13,206 | $32,465 | 11:1 | 89 | 8,116 | |
| 29 | DePaul UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 74% | 70% | $26,576 | $34,453 | 17:1 | 71 | 14,283 |
| 30 | Elmhurst UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 76% | 65% | $20,115 | $41,423 | 14:1 | 55 | 2,954 |