# Western Illinois University: Communications (bachelor's)

Macomb, IL. IPEDS 149772, CIP 09.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-illinois-university/majors/communications

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $34,142
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $51,203 (U.S. median for this major: $54,283 across 639 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $30,000 (U.S. median $25,000)
- Rank in IL: 16 of 27 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IL median for this major (27 colleges, $52,588): -$1,385
- Versus the U.S. median: -$3,080

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.38 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $51,203 minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $6,941 | $30,402 | 2.0 years |
| 30-48k | $8,787 | $38,487 | 2.5 years |
| 48-75k | $12,062 | $52,832 | 3.4 years |
| 75-110k | $16,294 | $71,368 | 4.6 years |
| 110k+ | $19,701 | $86,290 | 5.6 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Communications at IL colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | $93,541 | $18,112 | $29,167 | 95% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $69,034 | $26,543 | $13,297 | 62% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $66,439 | $19,500 | $14,355 | 85% |
| Lake Forest College | $64,580 | $27,000 | $28,673 | 78% |
| Augustana College | $63,730 | $26,375 | $22,736 | 73% |
| Wheaton College | $60,695 | $23,250 | $26,975 | 85% |
| Illinois State University | $60,414 | $20,125 | $19,398 | 65% |
| Loyola University Chicago | $58,256 | $25,000 | $36,079 | 73% |
| Eastern Illinois University | $57,887 | $26,000 | $12,786 | 47% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | $56,845 | $20,750 | $10,974 | 62% |
| DePaul University | $56,014 | $22,916 | $30,902 | 68% |
| Northern Illinois University | $55,109 | $27,000 | $13,391 | 49% |
| Elmhurst University | $53,618 | not reported | $24,185 | 70% |
| University of Illinois Springfield | $52,588 | $24,322 | $9,833 | 53% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $52,466 | $21,759 | $14,889 | 57% |
| Western Illinois University | $51,203 | $30,000 | $12,937 | 45% |
| Aurora University | $50,079 | $23,262 | $18,838 | 60% |
| Northeastern Illinois University | $48,247 | $15,630 | $14,109 | 22% |
| Moody Bible Institute | $48,158 | $11,812 | $22,221 | 62% |
| Benedictine University | $47,664 | $26,000 | $22,313 | 50% |
| Trinity Christian College | $47,527 | not reported | $19,125 | 57% |
| Governors State University | $47,475 | $20,340 | $12,329 | 22% |
| Monmouth College | $46,462 | not reported | $17,133 | 65% |
| Millikin University | $45,444 | $21,149 | $21,989 | 55% |
| Saint Xavier University | $44,312 | $26,311 | $10,970 | 57% |
| Concordia University-Chicago | $43,071 | not reported | $18,436 | 37% |
| Olivet Nazarene University | $42,321 | $27,000 | $20,729 | 61% |

## Careers
- Public relations specialist (SOC 27-3030): median wage not reported metro, $76,380 IL, $74,750 U.S.; U.S. jobs 1.8% by 2035
- Fundraisers (SOC 13-1131): median wage not reported metro, $66,440 IL, $72,550 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Editors (SOC 27-3041): median wage not reported metro, $76,060 IL, $77,920 U.S.; U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).