2023 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Nursing 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.
The Best Nursing Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 79 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Graham Hospital School of Nursing the best school in Illinois for nursing students. Graham Hospital School of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Canton.
Out of the 79 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science landed the # 2 spot on the list. RFUMS is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of North Chicago.
Full Nursing at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Report
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Chamberlain University - Illinois is a great place for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ambria College of Nursing. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois list. Ambria College of Nursing is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Hoffman Estates.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Ambria College of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $34,750.
The excellent programs at Rasmussen University - Illinois helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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.
Rush University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the large city of Chicago, Rush University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
With a ranking of #7, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the small city of Bloomington, Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Illinois Wesleyan take out an average of $26,855 in student loans while working on their egree.
Saint Anthony College of Nursing did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. SACN is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Rockford.
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.
Read full report on Nursing at Saint Anthony College of Nursing
Loyola University Chicago landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
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.
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. Located in the large suburb of Joliet, University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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.
Bradley University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria.
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.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top 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 |
|---|---|
| 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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