2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in Illinois with 21,938 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which healthcare program is right for you. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 38 schools in Illinois to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
Check out the nursing associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Ambria College of Nursing the best school in Illinois for nursing students working on their associate degree. Ambria College of Nursing is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Hoffman Estates.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Ambria College of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $32,601.
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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 #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Illinois accumulate an average of around $32,326 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $175.
Full Nursing at Rasmussen University - Illinois Report
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The excellent associate degree programs at Oakton Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Des Plaines, Oakton Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Oakton Community College take out an average of $11,885 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend William Rainey Harper College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list. Harper College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Palatine.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Harper College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $19,644.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Parkland College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list. Parkland College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Champaign.
On average, nursing graduates from Parkland College take out $10,582 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #6, Waubonsee Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Sugar Grove, Waubonsee is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Waubonsee carry an average student debtload of $17,386.
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Joliet Junior College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Joliet Junior College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Joliet.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Joliet Junior College accumulate an average of around $20,094 in student debt.
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Lincoln Land Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Springfield, LLCC is a public school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at LLCC take out an average of $22,153 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Elgin Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. ECC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Elgin.
Nursing majors at ECC take out an average of $15,362 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #10, Morton College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Morton College is a small public school located in the suburb of Cicero.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Morton College accumulate an average of around $14,200 in student debt.
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Request InformationBest 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 |
|---|---|
| Ohio | 13,973 |
| Michigan | 7,345 |
| Indiana | 7,922 |
| Wisconsin | 5,410 |
More Nursing Rankings in Illinois
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
| Nursing Science | 4,600 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 563 |
| School Nursing | 553 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 509 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 444 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 419 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 331 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 181 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 57 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 53 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 14 |
| Forensic Nursing | 14 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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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