Quick Facts

• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Address: 9 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602
• School Type: Private Media & Broadcasting Career School
• Programs Offered: Radio & TV Broadcasting, Digital Media Production, Film & Video Production and related media-training pathways
• Training Style: Hands-on studio training using professional broadcasting, editing, audio and video-production equipment
• Tuition Range: Contact the school for current 2026 tuition and total program cost
• Program Length: Short-term diploma programs; the Chicago catalog uses programs in the roughly 24–32 week range, depending on curriculum and credit structure
• Online Programs Available: Some digital coursework may be used, but the core Chicago media experience is campus-based
• Hybrid Learning: Not prominently advertised as the primary delivery method for the Chicago career programs
• Financial Aid: Federal financial assistance available to qualifying students
• Class Options: Flexible scheduling with extensive weekday, evening and Saturday campus hours
• Accreditation: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)
• Average Rating: ⭐ 4.8 (440 Reviews)
• Website: Illinois Media School — Chicago

Overview

Illinois Media School’s downtown Chicago campus is a specialized career school for students who want practical training in broadcasting, video, audio and digital-media production. The Chicago operation dates to 2010, while Illinois Media School traces its broader history to 1986. The downtown campus is accredited by ACCSC, approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s private vocational-school division and participates in federal financial-aid programs.

Unlike a traditional college communications major, the training centers heavily on producing content and operating professional equipment. The downtown campus has a television studio and master control room, 23 video-content/editing stations, 10 radio studios and two internet radio stations.

Programs Offered

Current BeOnAir/Illinois Media School pathways include:

• Radio & TV Broadcasting
• Digital Media Production
• Film & Video Production

The broader school network also offers specialty broadcasting programs at selected campuses, so students should verify which exact curriculum is enrolling at the downtown Chicago location before applying.

Radio & TV Broadcasting

The Radio & TV Broadcasting program is available at the Illinois campuses and trains students in areas such as:

• Script writing
• Radio production
• Television production
• Camera operation
• Audio production
• Editing
• On-air presentation
• News and sports production
• Digital marketing and station promotion

Students complete practical production work rather than relying solely on lectures.

Digital Media Production

The Digital Media Production pathway focuses on producing content for modern digital platforms, including websites, social media and digital advertising.

Potential areas of study include:

• Digital video
• Editing
• Audio
• Social-media content
• Digital branding
• Web-based media production

Film & Video Production

BeOnAir also lists Film & Video Production, covering the production process from pre-production through filming and post-production.

Campus & Training Facilities

The downtown Chicago facility includes:

• Fully equipped television studio
• Master control room
• HD TriCaster production switcher
• Virtual sets/background capabilities
• 23 editing/content stations
• 10 radio studios
• 2 live internet radio stations

The school is in the Chicago Loop, giving students proximity to a large media and production market.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Illinois Media School does not present a simple current 2026 tuition figure prominently on its Chicago public-facing program pages.

For the directory, I would use:

Tuition Range: Contact Illinois Media School for current tuition and total program cost.

The school states that approximately 95% of Chicago students receive some form of financial aid, although that does not mean every student qualifies for federal grants or that aid covers the entire cost. The Chicago campus participates in Title IV federal financial-aid programs under school code 031018.

Students should request a complete written cost-of-attendance estimate before enrolling.

Why Students Choose This School

• Dedicated media-career training
• Professional television studio
• 10 radio studios
• Extensive video-editing stations
• Hands-on production experience
• Shorter career-focused programs
• Downtown Chicago location
• ACCSC accreditation
• Federal financial aid for qualifying students
• Large number of Google reviews

Career Opportunities

Depending on program and experience, graduates may pursue entry-level roles such as:

• Video Editor
• Production Assistant
• Camera Operator
• Radio Producer
• On-Air Personality
• Audio Technician
• Digital Content Creator
• Social Media Content Producer
• Television Production Assistant
• Podcast Producer

Media careers are portfolio-driven, so students should prioritize building a strong body of work while enrolled.

Student Reviews

Based on your supplied listing data:

⭐ Average Rating: 4.8 (440 Reviews)

This is both a high rating and a much larger review sample than most schools in the directory. Applicants should still read recent reviews specifically addressing instruction, equipment access, career services and job placement.

Enrollment Tips

• Tour the actual television and radio studios before enrolling
• Ask which programs are currently offered specifically at the downtown campus
• Request the exact 2026 tuition and fees in writing
• Ask how many finished projects students typically have in their portfolios at graduation
• Review career-outcome disclosures for the exact program
• Complete FAFSA early if seeking federal aid
• Ask how often students have access to production equipment outside scheduled class time

Bottom Line

Illinois Media School is a good fit for students who want media production and broadcasting career training rather than a conventional skilled trade such as HVAC or welding. Its greatest strengths are extensive studio facilities, practical production work and a central Chicago location. Because media employment depends heavily on experience and portfolio quality, prospective students should evaluate the school’s student work and current graduate outcomes alongside tuition before enrolling.