2023 Best Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Illinois
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Nursing Master'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.
The Best Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in Illinois to see which master's degree 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.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing the best value school in Illinois for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Located in the midsize city of Peoria, St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing are $8,740 a year.
Full Nursing at Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Illinois State are $9,773 per year.
Illinois State also took the #5 spot in our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois rankings.
Full Nursing at Illinois State University Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
SIUE graduate students pay an average of $9,316 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Nursing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report
Request Information
The excellent master’s degree programs at Chamberlain University - Illinois helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Illinois. Chamberlain - Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Addison.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Chamberlain - Illinois are $14,090 a year.
Read full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University - Illinois
Request Information
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Governors State University is a great value for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at GSU are $8,320 per year.
Read full report on Nursing at Governors State University
Request Information
McKendree University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Lebanon.
McKendree graduate students pay an average of $9,756 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Nursing at McKendree University Report
Request Information
University of St Francis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Joliet.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Saint Francis are $13,839 per year.
University of Saint Francis also took the #4 spot in our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois rankings.
Full Nursing at University of St Francis Report
Request Information
Northern Illinois University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at NIU are $11,390 a year.
Request Information
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Olivet Nazarene are $12,190 a year.
Olivet Nazarene excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.
Request Information
Lewis University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Lewis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Romeoville.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Lewis are $14,960 per year.
Read full report on Nursing at Lewis University
Request InformationBest Value Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
More Nursing Rankings in Illinois
Majors Related to Nursing
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.
- 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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.