2023 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Nursing 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Nursing Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 79 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois
Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our analysis found Graham Hospital School of Nursing to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the distant town of Canton, Graham Hospital School of Nursing is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of North Chicago, RFUMS is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Chamberlain University - Illinois is a great place for nursing students. Chamberlain - Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the suburb of Addison.
On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Illinois take out $38,460 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Ambria College of Nursing is a great place for nursing students. Located in the small city of Hoffman Estates, Ambria College of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Ambria College of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $34,750.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Rasmussen University - Illinois. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Illinois list. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Rockford.
On average, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Illinois take out $35,539 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $161.
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Rush University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Rush University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
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With a ranking of #7, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bloomington.
Nursing majors at Illinois Wesleyan take out an average of $26,855 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Saint Anthony College of Nursing landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Rockford, SACN is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from SACN take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $281, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Loyola University Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Nursing majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $767, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of St Francis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Joliet.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from University of Saint Francis carry an average student debtload of $29,375. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $332.
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Bradley University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Bradley take out is $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $580.
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Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the state of Illinois that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in Illinois award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Oak Point University | Chicago, IL |
| 13 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 14 | Concordia University, Chicago | River Forest, IL |
| 15 | Oakton Community College | Des Plaines, IL |
Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Schools 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 |
More Nursing Rankings in Illinois
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| 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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