North Chicago, Illinois has 18 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $21,315 to $68,322 per year for indexed programs. North Chicago has a population of about 30,772. Median household income is $56,815 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $80,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Journalism Schools to North Chicago
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near North Chicago, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from North Chicago 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 North Chicago.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois journalism page.
Journalism Wages Near North Chicago
North Chicago 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | $70,350 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $67,905 |
| Editor | $80,380 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,587 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $77,050 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $74,373 |
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.
North Chicago at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 30,772 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $56,815 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 19.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other North Chicago-Area Cities With Journalism Programs
- Waukegan, IL – 3.7 mi away (88,182 pop)
- Gurnee, IL – 5.5 mi away (30,957 pop)
- Libertyville, IL – 5.9 mi away (20,405 pop)
- Vernon Hills, IL – 7.7 mi away (26,328 pop)
- Mundelein, IL – 8.4 mi away (31,475 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited journalism schools are near North Chicago, IL?
Our directory has 18 accredited schools offering journalism programs near North Chicago. The closest is Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (20.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia College Chicago (32.9 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying journalism roles near North Chicago?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near North Chicago are: Editor ($80,380), Public Relations Specialist ($77,050), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($70,350). 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 Waukegan instead of North Chicago?
Waukegan, IL is 3.7 miles from North Chicago 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 North Chicago an affordable place to study journalism?
North Chicago’s median household income of $56,815 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North Chicago 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 North Chicago
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for North Chicago:
- Public Relations programs in North Chicago, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in North Chicago, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in North Chicago, IL
- Technical Communication programs in North Chicago, IL
- Professional Writing programs in North Chicago, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in North Chicago, IL
- Business Development programs in North Chicago, IL
- Construction Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Economics programs in North Chicago, IL
- Financial Technology programs in North Chicago, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in North Chicago, IL
- Health Information Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- International Business programs in North Chicago, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in North Chicago, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in North Chicago, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Operations Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Public Administration programs in North Chicago, IL
- Real Estate programs in North Chicago, IL
- Recreation Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Retail Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Risk Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Statistics programs in North Chicago, IL
- Taxation programs in North Chicago, IL
- Corrections programs in North Chicago, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in North Chicago, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in North Chicago, IL
- Criminology programs in North Chicago, IL
- Cybercrime programs in North Chicago, IL
- Emergency Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Fire Science programs in North Chicago, IL
- Forensic Science programs in North Chicago, IL
- Legal Services programs in North Chicago, IL
- Legal Studies programs in North Chicago, IL
- Paralegal programs in North Chicago, IL
- Security Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in North Chicago, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in North Chicago, IL
- Innovation programs in North Chicago, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in North Chicago, IL
- Software Development programs in North Chicago, IL
- User Experience programs in North Chicago, IL
- Web Development programs in North Chicago, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in North Chicago, IL
- Machine Learning programs in North Chicago, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Data Analytics programs in North Chicago, IL
- Public Health programs in North Chicago, IL
- Human Resources programs in North Chicago, IL
- Project Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Special Education programs in North Chicago, IL
- Homeland Security programs in North Chicago, IL
- Marketing programs in North Chicago, IL
- Finance programs in North Chicago, IL
- Kinesiology programs in North Chicago, IL
- Sports Management programs in North Chicago, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in North Chicago, IL
- Elementary Education programs in North Chicago, IL
- Biology programs in North Chicago, IL
- Communications programs in North Chicago, IL
- Graphic Design programs in North Chicago, IL
- Human Services programs in North Chicago, IL
- MBA programs in North Chicago, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in North Chicago, IL
- Nursing programs in North Chicago, IL
- Business Administration programs in North Chicago, IL
- Computer Science programs in North Chicago, IL
- Psychology programs in North Chicago, IL
- Education programs in North Chicago, IL
- Engineering programs in North Chicago, IL
- Technology programs in North Chicago, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in North Chicago, IL
- Healthcare programs in North Chicago, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in North Chicago, IL
- Accounting programs in North Chicago, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in North Chicago, IL
- Social Work programs in North Chicago, IL
- Counseling programs in North Chicago, 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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