Best Journalism Schools Near Moline, IL (2026)

Moline, Illinois has 9 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $6,176 to $57,903 per year for indexed programs. Moline has a population of about 42,235. Median household income is $63,959 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $62,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Journalism Schools to Moline

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Moline, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Moline 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 Moline. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL 3.3 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,971
Avg net price $22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Knox College

Galesburg, IL 37.7 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
54.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,820
Avg net price $24,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 70.8 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 93.5 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 102.1 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
71.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

North Central College

Naperville, IL 123.0 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 125.2 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
73.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,099
Avg net price $17,028/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Illinois Springfield

Springfield, IL 129.5 miles from Moline
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,103
Avg net price $9,833/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Journalism Wages Near Moline

Moline is part of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area (BLS area code 19340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$60,590IL statewide$68,002
Editor$58,050Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$65,152
Public Relations Specialist$62,880Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$70,572

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.


Moline at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population42,235Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,959Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Moline-Area Cities With Journalism Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Moline, IL?

Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Moline. The closest is Augustana College in Rock Island, IL (3.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northern Illinois University (94.3 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Moline?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Moline are: Public Relations Specialist ($62,880), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($60,590), Editor ($58,050). 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 Rock Island instead of Moline?

Rock Island, IL is 4.8 miles from Moline 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 Moline an affordable place to study journalism?

Moline’s median household income of $63,959 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Moline 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 Moline

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

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.