U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 44 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 42% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $70,655. College Scorecard.
Lake Forest College Communications: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Lake Forest College's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,605 | $80,577 | 2.8 years |
| $30–48k | $20,210 | $83,063 | 2.9 years |
| $48–75k | $21,481 | $88,287 | 3.1 years |
| $75–110k | $26,055 | $107,086 | 3.7 years |
| $110k+ | $35,341 | $145,252 | 5.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (64% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Communications graduates 4 years after graduating ($64,580) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $28,783 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Communications graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University | $93,541 | $18,112 | $29,167 | 95% |
| 2 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $69,034 | $26,543 | $13,297 | 62% |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $66,439 | $19,500 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 4 | Lake Forest College | $64,580 | $27,000 | $28,673 | 78% |
| 5 | Augustana College | $63,730 | $26,375 | $22,736 | 73% |
| 6 | Wheaton College | $60,695 | $23,250 | $26,975 | 85% |
| 7 | Illinois State University | $60,414 | $20,125 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 8 | Loyola University Chicago | $58,256 | $25,000 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 9 | Eastern Illinois University | $57,887 | $26,000 | $12,786 | 47% |
| 10 | University of Illinois Chicago | $56,845 | $20,750 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 11 | DePaul University | $56,014 | $22,916 | $30,902 | 68% |
| 12 | Northern Illinois University | $55,109 | $27,000 | $13,391 | 49% |
| 13 | Elmhurst University | $53,618 | — | $24,185 | 70% |
| 14 | University of Illinois Springfield | $52,588 | $24,322 | $9,833 | 53% |
| 15 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $52,466 | $21,759 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 16 | Western Illinois University | $51,203 | $30,000 | $12,937 | 45% |
| 17 | Aurora University | $50,079 | $23,262 | $18,838 | 60% |
| 18 | Northeastern Illinois University | $48,247 | $15,630 | $14,109 | 22% |
| 19 | Moody Bible Institute | $48,158 | $11,812 | $22,221 | 62% |
| 20 | Benedictine University | $47,664 | $26,000 | $22,313 | 50% |
| 21 | Trinity Christian College | $47,527 | — | $19,125 | 58% |
| 22 | Governors State University | $47,475 | $20,340 | $12,329 | 22% |
| 23 | Monmouth College | $46,462 | — | $17,133 | 65% |
| 24 | Millikin University | $45,444 | $21,149 | $21,989 | 55% |
| 25 | Saint Xavier University | $44,312 | $26,311 | $10,970 | 57% |
| 26 | Concordia University-Chicago | $43,071 | — | $18,436 | 36% |
| 27 | Olivet Nazarene University | $42,321 | $27,000 | $20,729 | 61% |
15 more Illinois colleges offer Communications but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Communications graduates
Public relations specialist
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +1.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Fundraisers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Editors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Lake Forest College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Lake Forest College
- Acceptance rate: 57% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 78% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $61,825
- Full cost breakdown · all 34 majors · overview
Lake Forest College Communications questions
How much do Lake Forest College Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Lake Forest College earn a median $64,580 four years after graduating and $42,835 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Lake Forest College Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Lake Forest College is $27,000, about 42% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Lake Forest College a good school for Communications in Illinois?
On pay, Communications graduates of Lake Forest College earn $64,580 four years out, $11,992 above the median for the same major across 27 Illinois colleges ($52,588) and $10,297 above the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Lake Forest College rank for Communications in Illinois?
Of 27 Illinois colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Lake Forest College ranks 4th. The highest is Northwestern University at $93,541.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $77,050 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $74,750 nationally. Others include fundraisers and editors.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Lake Forest College Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lake-forest-college/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).