Best Online Communications Programs in Burbank, IL (2026)

Burbank, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs. Burbank has a population of about 28,822. Median household income is $83,975 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $133,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Communications Schools to Burbank

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communications programs near Burbank, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Burbank city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Burbank. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL 3.8 miles from Burbank BOC Score 66.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,656
Avg net price $10,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL 5.3 miles from Burbank BOC Score 51.7
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,700
Avg net price $19,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Chicago State University

Chicago, IL 8.5 miles from Burbank BOC Score 36.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,778
Avg net price $12,335/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 9.3 miles from Burbank BOC Score 93.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,885
Avg net price $14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 10.4 miles from Burbank BOC Score 36.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,151
Avg net price $49,790/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 10.8 miles from Burbank BOC Score 79.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 10.9 miles from Burbank BOC Score 49.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 11.3 miles from Burbank BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois communications page.


Communications Wages Near Burbank

Burbank is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$77,050Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$74,373
Public Relations Manager$133,210Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$128,581
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist$70,350Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$67,905
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$80,400Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,606

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Burbank at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population28,822Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$83,975Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Burbank-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Burbank, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Burbank. The closest is Saint Xavier University in Chicago, IL (3.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Chicago (9.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Burbank?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Burbank are: Public Relations Manager ($133,210), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($80,400), Public Relations Specialist ($77,050). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Oak Lawn instead of Burbank?

Oak Lawn, IL is 2.3 miles from Burbank and has its own set of local communications programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Burbank an affordable place to study communications?

Burbank’s median household income of $83,975 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Burbank while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Communications Programs

Other Programs Available in Burbank

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Burbank:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.