Sterling, Illinois has 16 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $8,616 to $57,903 per year for indexed programs. Sterling has a population of about 14,670. Median household income is $52,647 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% 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 Sterling
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Sterling, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sterling 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 Sterling.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,808
Avg net price
$13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,971
Avg net price
$22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,820
Avg net price
$24,595/yr
TuitionIn‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 8
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,852
Avg net price
$22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 52
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
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
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,117
Avg net price
$19,398/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 66
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 Sterling
| 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.
Sterling at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 14,670 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $52,647 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 18.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Sterling-Area Cities With Journalism Programs
- Clinton, IA – 28.3 mi away (30,930 pop)
- Freeport, IL – 34.0 mi away (24,717 pop)
- East Moline, IL – 40.6 mi away (21,135 pop)
- Peru, IL – 42.6 mi away (30,795 pop)
- Bettendorf, IA – 43.4 mi away (35,727 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited journalism schools are near Sterling, IL?
Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Sterling. The closest is Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL (48.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Madison (89.4 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 Sterling workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Clinton instead of Sterling?
Clinton, IA is 28.3 miles from Sterling 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 Sterling an affordable place to study journalism?
Sterling’s median household income of $52,647 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sterling 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 Sterling
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Sterling:
- Public Relations programs in Sterling, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Sterling, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Sterling, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Sterling, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Sterling, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Sterling, IL
- Business Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Construction Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Economics programs in Sterling, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Sterling, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Sterling, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Sterling, IL
- International Business programs in Sterling, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Sterling, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Sterling, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Operations Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Public Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Real Estate programs in Sterling, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Retail Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Risk Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Statistics programs in Sterling, IL
- Taxation programs in Sterling, IL
- Corrections programs in Sterling, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminology programs in Sterling, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Sterling, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Fire Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Legal Services programs in Sterling, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Sterling, IL
- Paralegal programs in Sterling, IL
- Security Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Sterling, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Sterling, IL
- Innovation programs in Sterling, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Software Development programs in Sterling, IL
- User Experience programs in Sterling, IL
- Web Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Sterling, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Sterling, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Sterling, IL
- Public Health programs in Sterling, IL
- Human Resources programs in Sterling, IL
- Project Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Special Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Sterling, IL
- Marketing programs in Sterling, IL
- Finance programs in Sterling, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Sterling, IL
- Sports Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Biology programs in Sterling, IL
- Communications programs in Sterling, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Sterling, IL
- Human Services programs in Sterling, IL
- MBA programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Sterling, IL
- Nursing programs in Sterling, IL
- Business Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Computer Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Psychology programs in Sterling, IL
- Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Engineering programs in Sterling, IL
- Technology programs in Sterling, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Sterling, IL
- Healthcare programs in Sterling, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Sterling, IL
- Accounting programs in Sterling, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Social Work programs in Sterling, IL
- Counseling programs in Sterling, 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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