Federal data
Highest earning journalism programs in Illinois
Illinois journalism programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University | Evanston | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $50,426 | 117 |
| 2 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale | Public, 4-year | $40,575 | 30 |
| 3 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $38,302 | 33 |
| 4 | DePaul University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $37,388 | 57 |
| 5 | Illinois State University | Normal | Public, 4-year | $36,643 | 36 |
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign | Public, 4-year | $36,303 | 56 |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public, 4-year | $31,753 | 32 |
| 8 | Columbia College Chicago | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $31,369 | 68 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
Keep going