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Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

38 Colleges
$64,238 Avg Salary
$28,730 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Illinois. In total, 21,938 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Illinois.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 38 schools in Illinois to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Chamberlain University - Illinois the best school in Illinois for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Chamberlain - Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Addison.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Illinois accumulate an average of around $37,103 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.

Full Nursing at Chamberlain University - Illinois Report

Out of the 38 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Loyola Chicago take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $28,313. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $767, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#3

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Illinois Wesleyan University is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Bloomington.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Illinois Wesleyan carry an average student debtload of $23,536.

Full Nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University Report

Out of the 38 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Anthony College of Nursing landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Rockford, SACN is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at SACN take out an average of $27,286 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $281, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Saint Anthony College of Nursing

#5

Oak Point University

Chicago, IL

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Oak Point University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Chicago, Oak Point is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Oak Point take out an average of $30,893 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $342, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Oak Point University

#6

McKendree University

Lebanon, IL

McKendree University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lebanon.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at McKendree accumulate an average of around $26,127 in student debt.

Read More…

With a ranking of #7, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Normal.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Illinois State accumulate an average of around $21,394 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $375.

Full Nursing at Illinois State University Report

#8

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, IL

With a ranking of #8, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.

Full Nursing at Concordia University, Chicago Report

With a ranking of #9, University of St Francis did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Joliet.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at University of Saint Francis take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $30,617. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $332.

Full Nursing at University of St Francis Report

#10

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

Bradley University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Bradley take out $26,036 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $580.

Read full report on Nursing at Bradley University

Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 7,345
Ohio 13,973
Indiana 7,922
Wisconsin 5,410

Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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