Kankakee, Illinois has 16 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $21,315 to $56,420 per year for indexed programs. Kankakee has a population of about 24,384. Median household income is $45,119 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 12.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $76,380 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Journalism Schools to Kankakee
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Kankakee, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Kankakee 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Kankakee.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,099
Avg net price
$17,028/yr
TuitionIn‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 59
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,123
Avg net price
$21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,151
Avg net price
$49,790/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 4
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,195
Avg net price
$26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,751
Avg net price
$30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 84
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,462
Avg net price
$24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,327
Avg net price
$11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,530
Avg net price
$36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 79
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois journalism page.
Journalism Wages Near Kankakee
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | $60,590 |
| Editor | $76,060 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $76,380 |
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.
Kankakee at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 24,384 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $45,119 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 12.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 96.4 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Kankakee-Area Cities With Journalism Programs
- Braidwood, IL – 22.0 mi away (22,563 pop)
- Park Forest, IL – 27.8 mi away (21,785 pop)
- New Lenox, IL – 28.6 mi away (26,217 pop)
- Mokena, IL – 29.8 mi away (20,097 pop)
- Chicago Heights, IL – 30.6 mi away (30,026 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited journalism schools are near Kankakee, IL?
Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Kankakee. The closest is Lewis University in Romeoville, IL (36.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Dominican University (55.4 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying journalism roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles in Illinois are: Public Relations Specialist ($76,380), Editor ($76,060), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($60,590). Wages for Kankakee workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Braidwood instead of Kankakee?
Braidwood, IL is 22.0 miles from Kankakee and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Kankakee an affordable place to study journalism?
Kankakee’s median household income of $45,119 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kankakee 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 Journalism Programs
Other Programs Available in Kankakee
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Kankakee:
- Public Relations programs in Kankakee, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Kankakee, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Kankakee, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Kankakee, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Kankakee, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Kankakee, IL
- Business Development programs in Kankakee, IL
- Construction Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Economics programs in Kankakee, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Kankakee, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Kankakee, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- International Business programs in Kankakee, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Kankakee, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Kankakee, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Operations Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Public Administration programs in Kankakee, IL
- Real Estate programs in Kankakee, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Retail Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Risk Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Statistics programs in Kankakee, IL
- Taxation programs in Kankakee, IL
- Corrections programs in Kankakee, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Kankakee, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Kankakee, IL
- Criminology programs in Kankakee, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Kankakee, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Fire Science programs in Kankakee, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Kankakee, IL
- Legal Services programs in Kankakee, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Kankakee, IL
- Paralegal programs in Kankakee, IL
- Security Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Kankakee, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Kankakee, IL
- Innovation programs in Kankakee, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Kankakee, IL
- Software Development programs in Kankakee, IL
- User Experience programs in Kankakee, IL
- Web Development programs in Kankakee, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Kankakee, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Kankakee, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Kankakee, IL
- Public Health programs in Kankakee, IL
- Human Resources programs in Kankakee, IL
- Project Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Special Education programs in Kankakee, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Kankakee, IL
- Marketing programs in Kankakee, IL
- Finance programs in Kankakee, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Kankakee, IL
- Sports Management programs in Kankakee, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Kankakee, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Kankakee, IL
- Biology programs in Kankakee, IL
- Communications programs in Kankakee, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Kankakee, IL
- Human Services programs in Kankakee, IL
- MBA programs in Kankakee, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Kankakee, IL
- Nursing programs in Kankakee, IL
- Business Administration programs in Kankakee, IL
- Computer Science programs in Kankakee, IL
- Psychology programs in Kankakee, IL
- Education programs in Kankakee, IL
- Engineering programs in Kankakee, IL
- Technology programs in Kankakee, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Kankakee, IL
- Healthcare programs in Kankakee, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Kankakee, IL
- Accounting programs in Kankakee, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Kankakee, IL
- Social Work programs in Kankakee, IL
- Counseling programs in Kankakee, IL
Data verified: August 11, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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