West Chicago, Illinois has 16 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $13,248 to $68,322 per year for indexed programs. West Chicago has a population of about 25,434. Median household income is $100,568 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.3% 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 West Chicago
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near West Chicago, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from West 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 West Chicago.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
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
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
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
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois journalism page.
Journalism Wages Near West Chicago
West 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.
West Chicago at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 25,434 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $100,568 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 32.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other West Chicago-Area Cities With Journalism Programs
- Saint Charles, IL – 4.7 mi away (32,717 pop)
- Carol Stream, IL – 5.1 mi away (40,069 pop)
- Geneva, IL – 5.1 mi away (21,880 pop)
- Batavia, IL – 5.4 mi away (26,391 pop)
- Bartlett, IL – 5.9 mi away (41,178 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited journalism schools are near West Chicago, IL?
Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering journalism programs near West Chicago. The closest is North Central College in Naperville, IL (9.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DePaul University (30.8 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying journalism roles near West Chicago?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near West 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 Saint Charles instead of West Chicago?
Saint Charles, IL is 4.7 miles from West 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 West Chicago an affordable place to study journalism?
West Chicago’s median household income of $100,568 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in West 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 West Chicago
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for West Chicago:
- Public Relations programs in West Chicago, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in West Chicago, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in West Chicago, IL
- Technical Communication programs in West Chicago, IL
- Professional Writing programs in West Chicago, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in West Chicago, IL
- Business Development programs in West Chicago, IL
- Construction Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Economics programs in West Chicago, IL
- Financial Technology programs in West Chicago, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in West Chicago, IL
- Health Information Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- International Business programs in West Chicago, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in West Chicago, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in West Chicago, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Operations Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Public Administration programs in West Chicago, IL
- Real Estate programs in West Chicago, IL
- Recreation Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Retail Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Risk Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Statistics programs in West Chicago, IL
- Taxation programs in West Chicago, IL
- Corrections programs in West Chicago, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in West Chicago, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in West Chicago, IL
- Criminology programs in West Chicago, IL
- Cybercrime programs in West Chicago, IL
- Emergency Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Fire Science programs in West Chicago, IL
- Forensic Science programs in West Chicago, IL
- Legal Services programs in West Chicago, IL
- Legal Studies programs in West Chicago, IL
- Paralegal programs in West Chicago, IL
- Security Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in West Chicago, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in West Chicago, IL
- Innovation programs in West Chicago, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in West Chicago, IL
- Software Development programs in West Chicago, IL
- User Experience programs in West Chicago, IL
- Web Development programs in West Chicago, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in West Chicago, IL
- Machine Learning programs in West Chicago, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Data Analytics programs in West Chicago, IL
- Public Health programs in West Chicago, IL
- Human Resources programs in West Chicago, IL
- Project Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Special Education programs in West Chicago, IL
- Homeland Security programs in West Chicago, IL
- Marketing programs in West Chicago, IL
- Finance programs in West Chicago, IL
- Kinesiology programs in West Chicago, IL
- Sports Management programs in West Chicago, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in West Chicago, IL
- Elementary Education programs in West Chicago, IL
- Biology programs in West Chicago, IL
- Communications programs in West Chicago, IL
- Graphic Design programs in West Chicago, IL
- Human Services programs in West Chicago, IL
- MBA programs in West Chicago, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in West Chicago, IL
- Nursing programs in West Chicago, IL
- Business Administration programs in West Chicago, IL
- Computer Science programs in West Chicago, IL
- Psychology programs in West Chicago, IL
- Education programs in West Chicago, IL
- Engineering programs in West Chicago, IL
- Technology programs in West Chicago, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in West Chicago, IL
- Healthcare programs in West Chicago, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in West Chicago, IL
- Accounting programs in West Chicago, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in West Chicago, IL
- Social Work programs in West Chicago, IL
- Counseling programs in West 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.
← Back to Best Journalism Schools in Illinois: Online Programs (2026)
