2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
With 322,592 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, nursing is the #3 most popular major in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 305 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Great Lakes Region Schools for Affordable Quality in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named Graham Hospital School of Nursing the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for nursing students. Graham Hospital School of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Canton.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Graham Hospital School of Nursing are $7,206 per year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Sandusky.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing are $6,992 per year. Nursing majors at Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing take out an average of $30,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent programs at Wayne County Community College District helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Great Lakes Region . WCCCD is a large public school located in the large city of Detroit.
WCCCD undergraduate students pay an average of $3,998 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at WCCCD take out an average of $18,389 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UWM Flexible Option is a small public school located in the large city of Milwaukee.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UWM Flexible Option are $6,750 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UWM Flexible Option take out is $27,902. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $182, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 305 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Madison Area Technical College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,769 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Madison College take out is $26,156.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Madison College also did well on our Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Washington State Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. WSCC is a small public school located in the rural area of Marietta.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WSCC are $4,032 per year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at WSCC accumulate an average of around $23,664 in student debt.
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Oakland Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Oakland Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oakland Community College are $5,200 per year. Nursing majors at Oakland Community College take out an average of $18,438 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Trinity Health System School of Nursing came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Trinity Health System School of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Steubenville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Trinity Health System School of Nursing are $13,386 a year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Trinity Health System School of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $20,824.
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Northcentral Technical College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. North Central Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Wausau.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Central Technical College are $5,415 per year. Nursing majors at North Central Technical College take out an average of $14,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Chippewa Valley Technical College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CVTC are $6,683 a year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from CVTC carry an average student debtload of $24,000.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CVTC also did well on our Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Southwest Wisconsin Technical College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Southwest Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Fennimore.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Tech are $6,683 per year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Southwest Tech carry an average student debtload of $18,125.
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With a ranking of #12, Schoolcraft College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Livonia, Schoolcraft College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Schoolcraft College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,574 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from Schoolcraft College take out $22,039 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Western Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the small city of La Crosse, Western Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Western Technical College are $6,687 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Western Technical College accumulate an average of around $20,095 in student debt.
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Gateway Technical College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Gateway Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha.
Gateway Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,803 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Gateway Technical College take out an average of $16,970 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Blackhawk Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #15 on the list. BTC is a small public school located in the small suburb of Janesville.
BTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,683 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at BTC accumulate an average of around $22,416 in student debt.
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Northeast Wisconsin Technical College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NWTC is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Green Bay.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NWTC are $6,849 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NWTC take out is $20,769.
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Moraine Park Technical College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Moraine Park Technical College is a small public school located in the small city of Fond du Lac.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Moraine Park Technical College are $6,683 per year. Nursing majors at Moraine Park Technical College take out an average of $17,817 in student loans while working on their egree.
Moraine Park Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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Fox Valley Technical College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. FVTC is a fairly large public school located in the midsize suburb of Appleton.
FVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,861 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at FVTC take out is $19,224.
FVTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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Delta College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the rural area of University Center, Delta College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Delta College are $7,100 per year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Delta College carry an average student debtload of $18,342.
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With a ranking of #20, Waukesha County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
WCTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,603 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from WCTC take out $20,590 in student loans while working on their degree.
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James A Rhodes State College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the small suburb of Lima, Rhodes State College is a public school with a small student population.
Rhodes State College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,721 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rhodes State College take out is $21,833.
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Ivy Tech Community College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ivy Tech Community College are $8,927 per year. Nursing majors at Ivy Tech Community College take out an average of $17,979 in student loans while working on their egree.
Ivy Tech Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. WITC is a small public school located in the rural area of Shell Lake.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WITC are $6,960 a year. On average, nursing graduates from WITC take out $16,713 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Henry Ford College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Henry Ford College is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Dearborn.
Henry Ford College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,192 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Henry Ford College take out is $25,250.
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Mid-State Technical College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the rural area of Wisconsin Rapids, Mid-State is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Mid-State are $6,351 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Mid-State take out is $16,917.
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Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students in the Great Lakes Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Ohio University - Chillicothe Campus | Chillicothe, OH |
| 48 | Lakeland Community College | Kirtland, OH |
| 48 | Sinclair Community College | Dayton, OH |
| 50 | Black Hawk College | Moline, IL |
| 51 | Rasmussen University - Illinois | Rockford, IL |
| 52 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 53 | Cuyahoga Community College District | Cleveland, OH |
| 54 | Stark State College | North Canton, OH |
| 55 | Monroe County Community College | Monroe, MI |
| 55 | Southwestern Michigan College | Dowagiac, MI |
| 57 | Gogebic Community College | Ironwood, MI |
| 57 | Kirtland Community College | Roscommon, MI |
| 59 | Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove, IL |
| 60 | Elgin Community College | Elgin, IL |
| 60 | John Wood Community College | Quincy, IL |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 7,345 |
| Ohio | 13,973 |
| Illinois | 21,938 |
| Indiana | 7,922 |
| Wisconsin | 5,410 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Nursing Related Majors for Nursing
One of 30 majors within the area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar 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.
- 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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